What term describes the passing of traits from parents to offspring?

The term that describes the passing of traits from parents to offspring is heredity. Heredity is a fundamental biological concept that explains how genetic traits and characteristics are transmitted through generations. This process involves the genetic information carried in DNA, which determines various features such as physical traits, behaviors, and specific health predispositions.

Understanding heredity is essential in genetics, as it lays the foundation for studying how traits are inherited and the potential variations that can occur in a population over time. It highlights the importance of parental genes in influencing an offspring's characteristics, making it pivotal in fields like breeding, conservation biology, and studying genetic disorders.

While variation refers to the differences among individuals, evolution is a broader concept that encompasses changes in a species over time due to mechanisms like natural selection, and mutation is a process that leads to changes in DNA that may influence heredity, but does not describe the overall process of trait transmission.