What are the basic units of heredity that are passed from parents to children called?

The basic units of heredity that are passed from parents to children are called genes. Genes are segments of DNA that contain the instructions for producing proteins, which play a vital role in determining the traits and characteristics of an organism. Each gene has a specific location on a chromosome and carries information that can be inherited from one generation to the next.

While chromosomes are structures within cells that house genes, they serve more as carriers of genetic material rather than the fundamental units of heredity themselves. DNA, which stands for deoxyribonucleic acid, is the molecule that makes up genes and carries genetic information, but it is not the unit of heredity. Alleles are different forms of a gene that may produce variation in a trait, but they pertain to specific variations rather than the basic units themselves. Therefore, genes are correctly identified as the fundamental hereditary units passed from parents to offspring.