<P> Heritable traits are known to be passed from one generation to the next via DNA , a molecule that encodes genetic information . DNA is a long polymer that incorporates four types of bases , which are interchangeable . The sequence of bases along a particular DNA molecule specifies the genetic information : this is comparable to a sequence of letters spelling out a passage of text . Before a cell divides through mitosis , the DNA is copied , so that each of the resulting two cells will inherit the DNA sequence . A portion of a DNA molecule that specifies a single functional unit is called a gene ; different genes have different sequences of bases . Within cells , the long strands of DNA form condensed structures called chromosomes . Organisms inherit genetic material from their parents in the form of homologous chromosomes , containing a unique combination of DNA sequences that code for genes . The specific location of a DNA sequence within a chromosome is known as a locus . If the DNA sequence at a particular locus varies between individuals , the different forms of this sequence are called alleles . DNA sequences can change through mutations , producing new alleles . If a mutation occurs within a gene , the new allele may affect the trait that the gene controls , altering the phenotype of the organism . </P>
<P> Heritable traits are known to be passed from one generation to the next via DNA , a molecule that encodes genetic information . DNA is a long polymer that incorporates four types of bases , which are interchangeable . The sequence of bases along a particular DNA molecule specifies the genetic information : this is comparable to a sequence of letters spelling out a passage of text . Before a cell divides through mitosis , the DNA is copied , so that each of the resulting two cells will inherit the DNA sequence . A portion of a DNA molecule that specifies a single functional unit is called a gene ; different genes have different sequences of bases . Within cells , the long strands of DNA form condensed structures called chromosomes . Organisms inherit genetic material from their parents in the form of homologous chromosomes , containing a unique combination of DNA sequences that code for genes . The specific location of a DNA sequence within a chromosome is known as a locus . If the DNA sequence at a particular locus varies between individuals , the different forms of this sequence are called alleles . DNA sequences can change through mutations , producing new alleles . If a mutation occurs within a gene , the new allele may affect the trait that the gene controls , altering the phenotype of the organism . </P>
what part of the cell is heredity information found
what part of the cell is heredity information found
chromosomes
chromosomes