About Inheritance of characters

Genes are units of inheritance that contribute to a persons behaviour and health. In this unit you will learn what genes, DNA and chromosomes are and how they combine to make the human genome. You will also learn how the principles of inheritance work, the effect that our genetic make-up has on health, and how genetic material is passed on from generation to generation. After studying this unit you should understand: that genes are the units of inheritance for individual characteristics and also may contribute to susceptibility to certain diseases; the number of chromosomes that make up the human genome and where they are located within the cell; something of the immense scale of the human genome project; how gametes are produced by the process of meiosis and how the full complement of 46 chromosomes is restored at fertilisation; the role of the X and Y chromosomes in determining sex and how they are inherited.