Final answer:
Genetic material has the three essential characteristics of inheritance, replication, and variability.
Step-by-step explanation:
The three essential characteristics of genetic material are:
Inheritance: Genetic material is passed from parents to offspring, carrying the instructions for the development and traits of the organism.
Replication: Genetic material can make copies of itself to be transmitted to daughter cells during cell division.
Variability: Genetic material contains the genetic code that determines the unique characteristics of each individual.