1. How Are Characteristics Inherited?
Chapter 7 Lesson 2
How Are Characteristics Inherited?

2. Inherited trait
A characteristic passed from parents to their offspring.
Eye color
Hair color
Curly hair
Straight hair
Attached earlobe
Widow’s peak
Height

3. Dominant trait
A trait that appears even if an organism has only one factor for the trait.
Some dominate traits are:
Brown eye
Brown hair
Ability to roll tongue
Right handed
Brown fur in mice
Tall plants

4. Recessive trait
A trait that appears only if an organism has two factors for the trait.
Some recessive traits are:
Blue eyes
Left handed
Not able to roll
Blond hair
Short plants
Light brown fur in mice

5. gene
Part of a chromosome that contains the DNA code for an inherited trait.

6. gene All inherited traits are controlled by genes. tongue rolling
thumb position
hair color
thousands more

7. gene Unless you have an identical twin, you are genetically unique.
You share some characteristics with most humans, but there is no one else with exactly the same combination of factors that you have.
This is because there are so many traits determined by genes.