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🧬 Chromosomes, Genes, and DNA

Zoom into a cell to meet DNA, the twisted ladder that codes for life, and see how genes and chromosomes carry a set of instructions from parents to you.

3
lessons
~15 min
to learn
🔬 Science
subject
Teens
level
Start the course →

What you’ll learn

  1. The Code of LifeExplain that DNA stores the code of life and describe its double-helix shape.Genetics is the study of the instructions that build living things and pass from parents to children. These instructions are stored in DNA, a molecule shaped like a twisted ladder called a double helix. Its rungs use just four chemical letters to spell out the code nearly all life shares.
  2. From DNA to ChromosomesDistinguish DNA, genes, and chromosomes and describe how they nest together.A gene is a segment of DNA carrying instructions for a trait, and a chromosome is tightly coiled DNA that holds many genes. These nest inside one another: a cell contains a nucleus, which holds chromosomes made of DNA, with genes as short stretches of that DNA. Human cells have 46 chromosomes in 23 pairs.
  3. Passing On TraitsExplain how traits are inherited through genes and chromosomes from both parents.Traits are inherited features like eye color or curly hair, and genes carry the instructions for them. You inherit your chromosomes from both parents, one of each pair from your mother and one from your father. That mix combines instructions from both to make someone new, never an exact copy.

Questions this course answers

What is the shape of a DNA molecule called?

DNA is shaped like a double helix, a ladder twisted into a spiral.

What is a gene?

A gene is a segment of DNA that holds the instructions for a particular trait.

How many chromosomes are in a human body cell?

Human body cells contain 46 chromosomes, arranged in 23 matching pairs.

Which correctly orders these from largest package to smallest piece?

A chromosome is the large package, a gene is a stretch within it, and a DNA base is the smallest piece of code.

Where do you get your chromosomes from?

In each of your 23 pairs, one chromosome came from your mother and one from your father.

What is a trait?

A trait is an inherited feature, such as eye color or curly hair, controlled by genes.

Grounded in trusted sources

  • Britannica
  • Khan Academy
  • National Geographic
  • Smithsonian's National Museum of Natural History

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