What are the units of hereditary information, are short segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and also help cells to reproduce themselves and to assemble proteins?

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Let’s examine each option in turn to understand what best answers the question about units of hereditary information and features as short DNA segments that help cells reproduce and assemble proteins.
Option c: RNA. While RNA plays many roles in gene expression and protein synthesis, it is not the unit that carries hereditary information in most organisms. Hereditary information is stored in DNA, and RNA serves as a messenger or functional molecule in the process, not the basic hereditary unit itself. Therefore this choice misidentifies the fundamental unit.
Option b: Chromosomes. Chromosomes are large structures composed of DNA and proteins that organize genetic material during cell division. They contain many genes, but they are not the smallest units of heredity; the question asks for the basic unit, which is smaller than a chromosome. So this option is too broad and not the correct unit.
Option d: Ribosomes. Ribosomes are molecular machines that synthesize proteins by translating mRNA. They are essential for protein assembly, but they do not carry hereditary information and are not units of heredity. Hence this choice is incorrect as well.
Option a: Genes. Genes are the discrete units of hereditary information. They are segments of DNA that encode instructions for building proteins or functioning molecules, and their expression guides cellular reproduction and protein assembly processes. This aligns precisely with the concept described in the question: the fundamental hereditary units, comprising short DNA segments that influence reproduction and protein synthesis.
In summary, the other options either describe RNA, larger DNA-containing structures, or the machinery of protein synthesis, none of which serve as the basic hereditary unit. Genes uniquely fulfill the stated role as the foundational units of heredity and the genetic instructions for cellular function.

What are the units of hereditary information, are short segments of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and also help cells to reproduce themselves and to assemble proteins?

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