Meaning & use
heredity
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Meaning
noununcountablebiology
The process by which physical or mental qualities are passed from parents to their children through genes.
Grammar: Used without 'a' or 'the' when talking about the process in general: Heredity plays a role.
Patterns
- heredity plays a role
- due to heredity
- the study of heredity
Heredity is one factor that determines height.
Scientists study heredity to understand how traits are inherited.
Both heredity and environment affect a child's development.
Common combinations
- heredity and environment
- The debate about heredity and environment continues.
- the laws of heredity
- Mendel discovered the basic laws of heredity.
- heredity plays a part
- Heredity plays a part in many diseases.
Synonyms and how they differ
- inheritance
- Can mean the process of inheriting traits, but also refers to money or property received from someone who died.
- genetics
- Refers to the study of genes and heredity; 'heredity' is the biological process itself, not the science.
Word family
- hereditary adjective
- Passed from parents to children through genes.
- hereditarily adverb
- In a hereditary manner.
Commonly confused: heredity or genetics?
heredity vs genetics
'Heredity' is the passing of traits; 'genetics' is the scientific study of how traits are passed.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'heredity' correctly?
Choose one answer.
'Heredity' is an uncountable noun meaning the biological process of passing traits. It is not a verb or adjective.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “heredity”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.