Final answer:
Offspring inherit different alleles from each parent, and these alleles, along with environmental factors, influence the individual's traits. For example, the combination of alleles for blood type can result in different genotypes and phenotypes.
Step-by-step explanation:
Offspring inherit different forms of genes called alleles from each parent. Traits, which are the physical expressions of these alleles, are affected by patterns of inheritance and interactions with the environment. Genetics describes the study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics. One key concept is that each diploid cell in an organism has two alleles for each gene, one inherited from each parent, which can be different. For instance, there are three possible alleles for the human blood type gene: A, B, and O. The combination of alleles, such as AA, BB, AO, or BO, determines the offspring's blood type. This genetic makeup, known as the genotype, combined with environmental factors, influences the observable characteristics, or phenotype, of the individual.