'''Genetic inheritance''' ('''biological inheritance''') is the process by which an offspring [[biological cell|cell]] or [[organism]] acquires or becomes predisposed to characteristics of its parent cell or organism. Through inheritance, variations exhibited by individuals can accumulate and cause a [[species]] to [[evolution|evolve]].
Mechanisms of inheritance:
# Genetic inheritance results from [[DNA replication]] and [[cell division]].
# [[Epigenetic inheritance]] results from, among other things, DNA modifications such as [[silencing|gene silencing]].
The study of biological inheritance is called [[genetics]], which includes also [[epigenetics]].
