Question

How do chromosomes, genes and DNA determine a person’s characteristic?

Answer 1

The characteristics of person is what differentiates one individual from another, making each individual unique in their own ways. These characteristics are determined by their difference in chromosome, genes and DNA that make up the genetic material of all individuals.

Complete answer:
Chromosomes are thread-like structures made up of proteins and DNA and located inside the nucleus of both animal and plant cells. Chromosomes are structures within cells that contain a person's genes. Genes are defined as the basic structural and functional unit of heredity and made up of a sequence of DNA that encodes an essential gene product. DNA is the genetic material of an organism consisting of two polypeptide chains wrapped around each other.

The DNA is present in condensed form which forms the chromosome and the chromosomes have certain sections known as genes that determine a person’s characteristic.The genes contain two alternate forms of alleles- dominant and recessive. At a particular time either the dominant trait is expressed or the recessive trait is expressed that gives rise to different characteristics. Expression of genes does not occur directly, the DNA is first transcribed into RNA and then to proteins. These proteins play major roles in determining the person’s characteristics.

Note: Genes can be inherited from parents to offspring as a result of which many a time we find similarity in characteristics between parents and offspring. This further proves that genes and in turn DNA and chromosomes play important roles in determining the characteristics of a person.