What is the functional unit of heredity?

What is the functional unit of heredity?

• A. Chromosome
• B. Gene
• C. Nucleotide
• D. Genome

Answer: (A)

Genes are the functional units of heredity. A gene is a specific sequence of DNA that carries the instructions to make a functional product, usually a protein or a molecule of RNA, which in turn influences a trait. Chromosomes organize and carry many genes, but they are not the single unit that transmits hereditary information. Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA, essential for encoding information but not the unit of heredity by themselves. The genome is the complete set of genetic material in an organism, providing the full blueprint rather than the individual unit that determines inheritance. So, the gene best explains how hereditary information is transmitted and expressed.

Genes are the functional units of heredity. A gene is a specific sequence of DNA that carries the instructions to make a functional product, usually a protein or a molecule of RNA, which in turn influences a trait. Chromosomes organize and carry many genes, but they are not the single unit that transmits hereditary information. Nucleotides are the building blocks of DNA, essential for encoding information but not the unit of heredity by themselves. The genome is the complete set of genetic material in an organism, providing the full blueprint rather than the individual unit that determines inheritance. So, the gene best explains how hereditary information is transmitted and expressed.