Genes are passed down from parents to their children when they have babies. Each parent gives half of their genetic material, which mixes together to create unique traits.

• Chromosome Number: Humans have 46 chromosomes that are grouped into 23 pairs.

• Inheritance Patterns:

  • If one parent has a dominant trait, there’s a 75% chance it will show up in the child.
  • For recessive traits, both parents need to pass on the trait for there to be a 25% chance of it showing up.

By understanding these ideas, we can look at family trees and see how traits get passed down through generations.