What is genetics?

Genetics is the study of genes and how traits or conditions are passed from one generation to another.¹

What is a gene?

A gene is a sequence of nucleotides in deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) that provides the cell with instructions to make proteins, which carry out specific functions in the body. Each person has two copies of each gene, one from each chromosome inherited from their parents. All DNA in a cell is packaged into small bundles called chromosomes, which are found in the nucleus (the core) of each cell. There are 23 matching pairs of chromosomes in each cell.²