Heredity, also known as inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring. The field of biology that studies heredity is called genetics.

We all belong to a chain of generations. The genes we possess come from our parents, who have inherited their genes from their parents. Genes may give us traits that have been seen in our grandparents. But we are also more than the sum of our genes. Our being is also affected by our living environment, social relationships and experiences.

Heredity refers to the transmission of genes from one generation to the next. The genetic material contains instructions about the development of the individual from a fertilized egg to an adult, as well as information on what the individual's hereditary characteristics are. Genetic material also directs the development, growth and function of cells themselves. The genome allows a fertilized egg to develop into an individual of a particular species. The individual carries genes typical of its species, but more specifically, it carries the genes of its parents.