Heredity is the transmission of characteristics from one generation to the next, which is the subject of genetics. The term "gene" refers to a specific region of DNA that encodes the instructions necessary to construct an essential molecule(s) for bodily function. As its name suggests, DNA has the structure of a double helix, which is a twisted ladder. Two "backbones" hold up the "ladder," and the "rungs" are pairs of the four "bases" (adenine, thymine, guanine, and cytosine). Instructions for constructing molecules, most commonly proteins, are encoded in the sequences of these nucleotides. About 20,000 genes have been identified in humans, according to studies. The term "genome" is used to refer to all of the genes and regulatory elements in an organism. The genome is present in nearly all of a living thing's cells. The nucleus is the location of the genome in eukaryotic (human, plant, and animal) cells. All humans share a nearly identical genetic code with only a few minor deviations. All of this and much more are covered in the Genetics Major.

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