

The information within a particular gene is not always exactly the same between one organism and another, so different copies of a gene do not always give exactly the same instructions. This information is the instructions for constructing and operating a living organism. The language used by DNA is called the genetic code, which lets organisms read the information in the genes. The order of these units carries genetic information, similar to how the order of letters on a page carries information. DNA is made of simple units that line up in a particular order within this large molecule. Genes are made from a long molecule called DNA, which is copied and inherited across generations. For example, the chances of somebody dying of cancer or heart disease seems to depend on both their genes and their lifestyle. The way our genes and environment interact to produce a trait can be complicated. Other traits come from interactions between our genes and the environment, so a child might inherit the tendency to be tall, but if they are poorly nourished, they will still be short. Some traits are inherited through our genes, so tall and thin people tend to have tall and thin children. Other sorts of traits are not easily seen and include blood types or resistance to diseases. Some traits are part of an organism's physical appearance, such as a person's eye color, height or weight. Genetics tries to identify which traits are inherited and to explain how these traits are passed from generation to generation. Genes are how living organisms inherit features or traits from their ancestors for example, children usually look like their parents because they have inherited their parents' genes. Genetics is the study of genes and tries to explain what they are and how they work.
