A trait is a feature of a living thing, like the color of a dog's fur, the size of a plant, or the shape of a flower's petals. Many traits are passed from parents to their babies. When a trait is passed down this way, we say it is inherited.

That is why baby animals often look a lot like their parents. A kitten from an orange cat is likely to have orange fur too. Puppies, chicks, and even baby elephants get many of their traits from their mom and dad.

Plants inherit traits as well. If a sunflower has bright yellow petals, its seeds will most likely grow into sunflowers with bright yellow petals. The parent plant passes its features to the new plants.

You inherited traits too. The color of your eyes, the color of your hair, and whether your hair is curly or straight came from your parents and grandparents. That is why families often look alike.

Not every trait is inherited, though. A dog that learns to sit was not born knowing that trick, and a scar from a scratch is not passed to its puppies. Inherited traits are the ones a living thing is born with, not the ones it picks up later.

Learning about inherited traits helps scientists and farmers. A farmer might plant seeds from the biggest, sweetest apples, hoping the baby trees will inherit those tasty traits and grow great apples too.