A trait is defined as what?

• A. A non-heritable environmental effect on phenotype
• B. A characteristic that an organism can pass on to its offspring through its genes.
• C. A temporary physiological state
• D. A disease condition

Answer: (B)

A trait is a heritable characteristic that can be passed from parents to offspring through genes. This means it reflects the genetic information that is transmitted to the next generation, not just something that appears because of the environment during an organism’s life. Environmental effects alter appearance or behavior but aren’t passed down genetically, so they aren’t traits in this sense. A temporary physiological state isn’t inherited across generations, so it doesn’t define a trait. And while some diseases have genetic components, a trait, in this context, is specifically a heritable characteristic, not merely a disease condition.