It is the passing of traits or DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) from parents to their offspring.
During the process of reproduction, one copy is transferred to the offspring from the mother through the egg and the other from the father through the sperm.
A biological process by which new organisms, that is, offspring is produced is termed reproduction.
Reproduction comes in two forms, that is, sexual and asexual modes of reproduction.
In sexual reproduction, male and female gamete combine to give rise to a zygote, which later develops into an offspring, in the process, two parents are required.
In asexual reproduction, offspring are produced by a single parent.
Based on the latest research, offspring receive 50 percent of the DNA from each parent.
However, not all the genes one receives are expressed.
The mitochondrial genes are maternal in characteristics, that is, the mitochondrial DNA is received from the mother.
Mitochondria are the energy-producing factories of a cell.