What Is Heredity Two polar bear cubs wrestle in the snow Their mother watches The cubs and their mother all look like each other They all have thick light-colored fur four legs and four big paws 4
Offspring or children resemble others of their kind We call this heredity You can see heredity at work all around you Puppies look like dogs kittens look like cats and human children look like grown-ups Unique You You can see heredity at work in yourself Eye color hair color freckles dimples and long eyelashes are all traits that were passed on to you from your parents 5
Elephants Can’t Have Mice Heredity means that all animals give birth to their own kind Bears have cubs pigs have piglets and people have baby humans No elephant has ever given birth to baby mice 6
Plants follow the rules of heredity too Each plant makes more of its own kind Oak trees make acorns which grow into new oak trees Bean plants make bean seeds which grow into new bean plants 7
