Genes to Proteins to Traits

Traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes in DNA.

DNA is a type of molecule that carries the inherited information passed from parents to offspring.

A gene is a segment of DNA that contains the instructions for building a product, usually a protein.

A protein is a type of molecule that makes up much of an organism’s structure and helps it function.

Living organisms have tens or even hundreds of thousands of different kinds of proteins in their bodies.

Different proteins have different shapes and structures, and they function in different ways.

The traits of an organism are determined by the kinds of proteins that its genes cause it to build.

Remember that cells are the basic unit of life, and all organisms are made up of cells.

Inside a cell, there is an enclosed structure called the nucleus. The nucleus contains the cell’s chromosomes.

A chromosome is a cell structure that contains an organism’s DNA. Each chromosome is made up of one long molecule of DNA that includes many genes along its length.