Concept:Inherited traits are transmitted from parents to offspring through the genetic information stored in nucleic acids.
Explanation:The genetic material of most living organisms is deoxyribonucleic acid,
DNA.
Genes are specific segments of a
DNA molecule.
Each gene carries the instructions needed to produce proteins.
These proteins determine the observable characteristics, or traits, passed from parents to offspring.
During reproduction,
DNA is replicated and passed on, ensuring that inherited traits are preserved.
RNA molecules are involved in protein synthesis but do not store the master hereditary information.
Nucleotides are only the building blocks of
DNA and
RNA, not the controllers of traits.
Enzymes are proteins produced from genetic instructions, so they do not control inheritance themselves.
Therefore, the control of inherited traits rests with the
DNA molecules.
Answer:C. DNA molecules