What is Heredity?

Heredity is the process by which traits are passed from parents to offspring through their genes.

Genes and DNA

Genes are the units of heredity and are made up of DNA. DNA contains the instructions for building and maintaining an organism.

Mendel's Laws

Gregor Mendel, known as the father of modern genetics, discovered the basic principles of heredity through his work with pea plants. He formulated the laws of inheritance, including the law of segregation and the law of independent assortment.

Types of Inheritance

Dominant and Recessive Traits: Some traits are dominant, meaning they are expressed when present, while others are recessive and only expressed when both copies of the gene are recessive.
Codominance and Incomplete Dominance: These are patterns of inheritance where neither allele is completely dominant or recessive.
X-linked Inheritance: Some traits are carried on the X chromosome and show different patterns of inheritance in males and females.

Genetic Disorders

Genetic disorders are conditions caused by changes or mutations in genes. They can be inherited from one or both parents and can affect various aspects of an individual's health and development.

Modern Genetics

Advances in technology have allowed scientists to study and manipulate genes, leading to breakthroughs in areas such as gene therapy, genetically modified organisms, and DNA fingerprinting.

Human Heredity

Understanding human heredity has important implications for fields such as medicine, anthropology, and forensics. It helps in identifying genetic predispositions for diseases, tracing human evolution, and solving criminal cases through DNA evidence.