Question

Which of the following is considered as a unit of inheritance?
A) Gene
B) Chromosomes
C) Nucleotides
D) Codon
E) Chromatids

Answer 1

Hint: Inheritance is passing of anything such as characteristics from parents to their progeny or offsprings. In other words, inheritance can be defined as the process by which the information from the parents to the offsprings. Heredity is another term that means biological inheritance.

Complete Answer:
- Gene is a basic and physical unit of heredity, that carries information from one generation to another generation.
- Nucleotides are complexes made up of nucleosides attached to phosphate groups.
- Codons are a sequence of three nucleotides, which makes nucleic acids such as DNA or RNA. The chromatids are two molecules of the DNA molecules attached by a centromere.

So, the ‘gene’ is the correct answer.

Note:
- Genes are segments or a stretch of the DNA, found on the chromosomes. It helps to control the development and function of all organs and working systems in the body. Mutation in a gene can lead to change in the information that may lead to the difference in characteristics of parents and their children.
- Mutations can also cause disease such as cancer.
- These terms are so closely related to each other. So keep this sequence in mind.
- From smallest to largest, the order always will be, a nitrogenous base, nucleotide, codon, gene, chromosome.