Which term corresponds to a segment of DNA on a chromosome that codes for a specific trait?

• A. genome
• B. DNA
• C. gene
• D. autosome

Answer: (C)

A gene is the functional unit of heredity. It’s a defined segment of DNA located on a chromosome that contains the instructions to produce a product—usually a protein or a molecule of RNA—that influences a specific trait. That makes it the term that fits a segment of DNA on a chromosome coding for a trait. The genome refers to the entire set of genetic material, DNA is the molecule itself, and an autosome is any non-sex chromosome. In biology, many traits arise from the combined action of multiple genes and environmental factors, but the concept of a gene as a discrete DNA segment coding for a trait remains the core idea.