Introduction to genetics: Difference between revisions

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==Genes and inheritance==

[[File:DNA animation.gif|frame|150px|left|A section of [[DNA]]; the sequence of the plate-like units ([[nucleotide]]s) in the center carries information.]]

Genes are pieces of DNA that contain information for the synthesis of ribonucleic acids (RNAs) or polypeptides. Genes are inherited as units, with two parents dividing out copies of their genes to their offspring. Humans have two copies of each of their genes, but each egg or sperm cell only gets ''one'' of those copies for each gene. An egg and sperm join to form a complete set of genes. The resulting offspring has the same number of genes as their parents, but for any gene, one of their two copies comes from their father, and one from their mother.<ref name=Utah/>