Heredity can also be called inheritance, and it is the handing down of traits to descendants, either via asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction. The offspring cells or organisms procure the genetic information of their parents. Through heredity, variations between individuals can accrue and cause species to develop by natural selection. The analysis of heredity in biology is genetics.
In humans, hair color is an example of an inherited characteristic. Genes regulate inherited traits, and the complete set of discernible traits of an organism's composition and behavior is called the phenotype. These traits come to fruition from the communication of its genotype and the environment.
Many characteristics of an individual's phenotype are not inherited. Heritable traits are said to be passed from one generation to the next through DNA, a molecule that determines genetic information. Multiple interacting genes manage most traits within and among organisms.