Genes are tiny instructions inside you that help make you who you are!
Where do your genes come from?
Only from the parent you look like
Half from mum and half from dad
Only from your dad
From the food you eat
Yes! You get half your genes from your mum and half from your dad.
You get half your genes from your mum and half from your dad. That's why you can look a bit like both!
What is DNA a bit like?
A tiny germ living inside you
A special kind of blood
A recipe book for your body
A small bug that helps you grow
Right! DNA holds the instructions for building and running your body, like a recipe book.
DNA is like a recipe book: it holds the instructions for building your body. It isn't a germ or blood.
Where in your body is DNA found?
Only in your blood
Only in your brain
Only in your heart and lungs
In nearly every cell
Correct! Nearly every tiny cell in your body has its own copy of your DNA.
DNA is in nearly every cell of your body, not just one part. Each cell has its own copy!
Which living things have DNA?
Only humans
Only animals
All living things
Only mammals
Yes! Trees, mushrooms, cats, germs and you: every living thing has DNA.
All living things have DNA, even trees and tiny bacteria. It's the instruction book of life!
Scratch the card to reveal a fact about genes
If you unrolled all the DNA in one of your cells, it would be about 2 metres long!
Identical twins grow from one egg. What is true about them?
They can be a boy and a girl
They have very different genes
They have the same genes
They never look alike
Right! Identical twins come from one egg, so they share the same genes.
Identical twins have the same genes because they come from one egg. So they are both boys or both girls.
A dad has a scar on his arm. Will his baby have it?
No, scars aren't in genes
Yes, babies always get it
Only if the dad got it as a child
Only if the baby is a boy
Correct! A scar comes from an injury, not from genes, so it isn't passed on.
No, the baby won't have it. Scars come from injuries and don't change your genes, so they aren't passed on.
Can two brown-eyed parents have a blue-eyed child?
No, never
Only if the child is a girl
Yes, it can happen
Only if the child eats carrots
Yes! Parents can carry a hidden blue-eye gene and both pass it on.
Yes, it can happen! Brown-eyed parents can carry a hidden blue-eye gene, and a child who gets one from each has blue eyes.
How many chromosomes do most people have in each cell?
About 4
12
23
46
Right! Most people have 46 chromosomes: 23 from mum and 23 from dad.
Most people have 46 chromosomes in each cell, 23 from mum and 23 from dad.
Flip the card to reveal a fact about DNA
You share about half your DNA with a banana, because all living things use some of the same instructions.
Did you know?
Trees have DNA
Scars pass to babies
Genes come from parents
Only people have genes
DNA is in cells
Why don't brothers and sisters look exactly the same?
The oldest child gets all the best genes
One got no genes from dad
They each get a different mix of genes
One got all of mum's genes
Yes! Each child gets a different mix of their parents' genes, like shuffled cards.
Each child gets a different mix of mum's and dad's genes, like a shuffled pack of cards. That's why siblings differ.
Do plants like this pea plant have genes?
No, only animals do
Yes, plants have genes too
Only plants with flowers
Only when they make seeds
Correct! Long ago, Gregor Mendel grew peas and found out how genes are passed on.
Plants have genes too! A monk called Gregor Mendel grew peas to discover how features pass from parents to young.
Why do Dalmatian puppies grow up spotty?
They learn it from their mum
They copy the spots of other puppies
Playing outside makes spots
Their parents pass on spot genes
Right! Puppies get genes for spots from their parents.
Dalmatian puppies get genes for spots from their parents. Fun fact: they are born white and the spots appear later!
Whose genes decide if a baby is a boy or a girl?
The mum's genes
The food mum eats
The dad's genes
The month of birth
Yes! Dad passes on either an X or a Y chromosome, and that decides it.
It's the dad's genes: he passes on an X (girl) or a Y (boy) chromosome. Mum always passes on an X.
Drag the slider to reveal a fact
Are you a copy of anyone?
Unless you are an identical twin, nobody who ever lived has exactly the same DNA as you!
Mia practises piano every day. Will her future children be born able to play?
Yes, practice goes into her genes
No, skills aren't passed on in genes
Only if she practises for years
Only if her children are girls
Correct! Practice makes Mia better, but it doesn't change the genes she passes on.
No: skills you learn don't go into your genes. Mia's children would need to practise too!
What shape is DNA?
A straight line
A twisted ladder
A spiky star shape
A flat square
Yes! DNA is a twisted ladder, called a double helix.
DNA is shaped like a twisted ladder, called a double helix.
About how many genes does a person have?
10
100
1,000
20,000
Right! People have about 20,000 genes, each with its own job.
People have about 20,000 genes! Each one is an instruction for a little part of you.
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Question 1: Where do your genes come from?
Question 2: What is DNA a bit like?
Question 3: Where in your body is DNA found?
Question 4: Which living things have DNA?
Question 5: Identical twins grow from one egg. What is true about them?
Question 6: A dad has a scar on his arm. Will his baby have it?
Question 7: Can two brown-eyed parents have a blue-eyed child?
Question 8: How many chromosomes do most people have in each cell?
Lightning round 1
Question 9: Why don't brothers and sisters look exactly the same?
Question 10: Do plants like this pea plant have genes?
Question 11: Why do Dalmatian puppies grow up spotty?
Question 12: Whose genes decide if a baby is a boy or a girl?
Question 13: Mia practises piano every day. Will her future children be born able to play?
Question 14: What shape is DNA?
Question 15: About how many genes does a person have?
Made with AI. This quiz was made with AI, which can make mistakes.
