Final answer:
Heredity is the transmission of genetic traits from parents to offspring. The process is mediated by genes, basic units of heredity located on chromosomes. Gregor Mendel's classical experiments with pea plants illustrated the foundational principles of inheritance. The correct option is c.
Step-by-step explanation:
Definition of Heredity
Heredity is the passing of traits from parents to offspring. This biological process ensures that living organisms inherit genetic characteristics from their ancestors.
In the context of the multiple-choice question provided by the student, the correct answer would be option 'c' as it precisely defines heredity. Moreover, an organism's traits are determined by the specific combination of inherited genes.
Gregor Mendel's experiments with pea plants laid the groundwork for our understanding of genetics and heredity. His observation of dominant and recessive traits, and their patterns of inheritance, set the stage for modern genetics.
It was Mendel who articulated the chromosomal basis of inheritance, which provides an understanding of how genes are passed from parent to offspring.
Genes are segments of DNA located on chromosomes and are the fundamental units of heredity. Alleles are different versions of a gene that can cause variations in the expression of a trait.
The genotype is the set of genes in our DNA that is responsible for a particular trait, and the phenotype is the physical expression, or characteristics, of that trait. Option c) is the correct one.