What is the basic unit of heredity?

The basic unit of heredity is a gene. A gene is a specific sequence of DNA that contains the information necessary to produce a particular protein, which in turn determines specific traits or characteristics in an organism. Genes are passed from parents to offspring during reproduction, playing a crucial role in heredity. Each gene can influence various traits, from eye color to susceptibility to certain diseases.

While DNA is the molecule that composes genes and carries genetic information, it is the gene itself that functions as the fundamental unit of heredity. Chromosomes are structures within cells that house many genes, and alleles are different forms of a gene that can exist at the same locus on a chromosome. Therefore, the gene is the most direct answer to what constitutes the basic unit of heredity.