Heredity refers to the genetic heritage passed down by biological parents. It is the sum of all biological processes by which particular characteristics are transmitted from parents to their offspring. Hereditary traits are determined by genes, and a single gene can have several variants called alleles. There are two copies of each gene in our cells, one from the sperm and the other from the egg. If the two copies of a gene are identical, we say that the individual is homozygous for that gene. If the two copies are different, the gene is heterozygous.
Hereditary can also refer to things that are passed down naturally from parent to offspring through genes. For example, blue eyes can be hereditary in a family. Hereditary can also refer to things that are received or passing by inheritance or required to pass by inheritance or by reason of birth, such as hereditary wealth or hereditary nobility.
