Final answer:
Heredity in biology refers to the passing of genes and genetic traits from parent to offspring. It is a fundamental characteristic of life that ensures organisms pass down their genetic information to the next generation, influencing all inherited traits.
D is correct
Step-by-step explanation:
The characteristic of heredity in biology can best be described as the passing of genes and genetic traits from parent to offspring. This is choice D. Heredity is fundamental to the continuity of life, and it is how organisms pass down their genetic information to their progeny. This genetic transfer includes all the instructions required for the offspring to develop and function as a member of their species, and it influences all their other inherited traits.
Reproduction, homeostasis, evolution, metabolism, and heredity are key characteristics of life, and the gene theory is a unifying principle of biology that explains how these traits are controlled by genes located on chromosomes in every cell. The DNA that comprises these genes is passed down during cell division and also during reproductive processes, ensuring that characteristics are transferred from one generation to the next.
In eukaryotes, heritable information is passed to the next generation through complex processes that involve the cell cycle and either mitosis or meiosis plus fertilization, as outlined in principle 3.A.2. This ensures diversity among offspring and the propagation of the species.