heredity

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heredity Transmission of characteristics from one generation of plants or animals to another. Characteristics, such as red hair, may be specific to individuals within a group; others, such as the possession of external ears, may be typical of a group as a whole. The combination of characteristics that makes up an organism and makes it different from others is set out in the organism's genetic code, passed on from its parents. Austrian naturalist Gregor Mendel conducted the first studies of heredity.

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