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What is a trait?

All humans share common characteristics that each have their own different versions. We call these individual versions of characteristics traits. For instance, all humans have the characteristic of skin color, but what your individual skin color is defines what trait you have (light, dark, etc.).


We have something similar in the way we code for these traits in our DNA. All humans have genes in their DNA coding for different characteristics, such as how much melanin or skin pigment you create. Different versions of these genes are known as alleles and different combinations of alleles code for different traits. We all have a gene for hair color yet what allele we have gives us our individual trait, such as brown hair or blonde hair. I hope this answered your question! 

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