What is the basic unit of heredity?

The basic unit of heredity is the gene, which is a segment of DNA that contains the instructions for making specific proteins. Genes play a crucial role in determining the traits and characteristics of an organism. They carry the information that is passed on from parents to offspring during reproduction, influencing features such as eye color, height, and susceptibility to diseases.

In the structure of DNA, genes are organized into chromosomes, which are long strands of DNA found in the nucleus of cells. While chromosomes are essential for packaging and organizing genetic material, the functional unit that directly contributes to inheritance patterns is the gene itself. Proteins, although vital for carrying out the functions dictated by genes, are the end products of gene expression rather than the units of heredity. Therefore, the gene is the correct choice as it specifically represents the fundamental unit that transmits hereditary information.