What does inheritance refer to?

Inheritance refers to the transmission of genetic characteristics from parent to offspring. This biological process is fundamental to genetics and allows traits, such as eye color or blood type, to be passed down through generations. Inheritance is governed by the dynamics of genes, which are units of heredity located on chromosomes.

During reproduction, organisms pass on genetic information contained in their DNA to their progeny, creating a link in a family tree that connects the traits of parents to those of their children. This concept is integral in understanding how specific traits are expressed in a population over time, influencing everything from physical characteristics to susceptibility to certain diseases. The other concepts, such as evolution, selection, and adaptation, relate to broader biological processes but do not specifically define the genetic transfer that inheritance encapsulates.