Question
Define heredity. Explain the mechanism of hereditary changes.

Answer

(1) Heredity: Heredity is the process by which the biological characters from parental generation are transmitted to the next generation through genes.

(2) The mechanism of hereditary changes:

  • Mutation: Sudden change in the parental DNA can cause mutations. This results into changes in the hereditary characters.
  • At the time of meiosis, the crossing over takes place. This creates new recombination of the genetic information. Therefore, the haploid gametes produced carry changed hereditary characters.

Need a full question paper?

Generate a complete, print-ready paper with questions like this in minutes — across 16+ boards, with answer keys.

Start Generating Free