Final answer:
The modern term for the factors that carry traits from one generation to the next is 'genes', which exist in different versions called 'alleles'.
Step-by-step explanation:
The modern name for the internal factors that Del mentioned, which carry characteristics or traits from one generation to the next in pairs, is genes. Gregor Mendel first proposed the concept of paired unit factors or hereditary factors, which we now know to be genes located on chromosomes. These genes come in different versions known as alleles, which can be dominant or recessive and are responsible for the variation in traits among organisms. Mendel's work laid the foundation for the field of genetics, the study of how traits are inherited and vary within a population.