Here's how it works:
* Genes: Parents pass on their genes to their offspring. These genes carry the instructions for building and maintaining an organism.
* Traits: Traits are characteristics like fur color, eye color, size, and even things like behavior and disease susceptibility. Genes are responsible for these traits.
* Inheritance: Offspring inherit half of their genes from their mother and half from their father. This combination of genes determines the traits they will have.
Examples:
* A brown-haired dog and a white-haired dog might have puppies with various shades of brown, white, or even black, depending on the genes they inherited.
* A tall giraffe and a short giraffe might have offspring that are somewhere in between in height.
* A bird that sings a specific song might pass on that song pattern to its chicks.
Important Points:
* Dominant and recessive genes: Some genes are dominant, meaning they will always be expressed, while others are recessive and only expressed if both parents pass on that recessive gene.
* Mutations: Sometimes, there are small changes (mutations) in the genes that can lead to new traits. These mutations can be inherited by offspring.
* Environment: While genes play a major role, the environment can also influence how traits are expressed. For example, a plant that has the genes for being tall might grow shorter if it doesn't get enough sunlight.
So, in short, baby animals inherit a mix of their parents' genes, resulting in their own unique set of traits. This is a fundamental part of how species evolve and adapt over time.