HEREDITY & TRAITS
Inheritance determines a diversity of traits, some visible, some not.
tour of the basics
WHAT IS A TRAIT?Each of us has a different combination of traits that makes us unique.
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OBSERVABLE TRAITS
Take a look at several inherited human traits and learn more about them. Which variations do you have?
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PTC: THE GENETICS OF BITTER TASTEAn accidental discovery leads to important clues about human evolution.
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TRAITS ACTIVITIESFun activities about inherited traits and disease risk to do with your family or at public gatherings.
CHROMOSOMES: THE VEHICLE OF HEREDITY
Chromosomes carry the information to code for traits and are inherited from both parents equally.
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HOW DO SCIENTISTS READ CHROMOSOMES?To "read" a set of chromosomes, scientists look for key features to identify their similarities and differences.
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USING KARYOTYPES TO PREDICT GENETIC DISORDERSCertain genetic disorders can be predicted by looking at a person's chromosomes.