What is the basic unit of heredity in living organisms?

What is the basic unit of heredity in living organisms?

• A. Chromosome
• B. Gene
• C. Trait
• D. Locus

Answer: (B)

The basic unit of heredity in living organisms is the gene. Genes are segments of DNA that contain the instructions for building proteins and determining the traits of an organism. They are responsible for passing information from parents to offspring, thereby influencing a wide range of characteristics, from physical appearance to susceptibility to certain diseases. While chromosomes consist of long strands of DNA that house many genes, they themselves are not the fundamental unit of heredity; they are more like the packaging that organizes genetic material. A trait is a specific characteristic that is influenced by one or more genes but does not represent the unit of heredity itself. A locus refers to the specific physical location of a gene on a chromosome, and while important for understanding gene mapping and expression, it does not inherently represent the concept of heredity. Thus, the gene stands out as the fundamental unit that directly encodes hereditary information.

The basic unit of heredity in living organisms is the gene. Genes are segments of DNA that contain the instructions for building proteins and determining the traits of an organism. They are responsible for passing information from parents to offspring, thereby influencing a wide range of characteristics, from physical appearance to susceptibility to certain diseases.

While chromosomes consist of long strands of DNA that house many genes, they themselves are not the fundamental unit of heredity; they are more like the packaging that organizes genetic material. A trait is a specific characteristic that is influenced by one or more genes but does not represent the unit of heredity itself. A locus refers to the specific physical location of a gene on a chromosome, and while important for understanding gene mapping and expression, it does not inherently represent the concept of heredity. Thus, the gene stands out as the fundamental unit that directly encodes hereditary information.