Question

name:
date:
base your answers to questions 1 through 3 on the information below and your knowledge of science.
inherited traits
an adult human has 30 trillion human body cells. inside of each of those body cells there is a nucleus. the nucleus is known as the brain of the cell and controls all of the cell’s activities. stored within the nucleus are 46 x - shaped chromosomes. these 46 chromosomes are made of double helix (spiral) shaped dna.
dna is made of genes. human dna is made of 20,000 different genes! these genes carry traits, which are specific characteristics. human dna is made of 20,000 different genes!
(images: a figure of a person with the caption “your body is made of cells”, a cell with nucleus with the caption “each cell has your chromosomes”, a chromosome with the caption “every chromosome contains your dna”, a dna double helix with the caption “in your dna are your genes”, a dna double helix with genes marked with the caption “your genes carry your traits”)
1 categorize the following terms by writing them in the correct order from largest to smallest in the table below.
traits dna cells organism gene chromosome

largest
smallest

Explanation:

Step1: Analyze the hierarchy

An organism (like a human) is made of cells. Cells have nuclei with chromosomes. Chromosomes are made of DNA. DNA is made of genes, and genes carry traits. So the order from largest to smallest should start with the organism.

Step2: List the order

1. Organism (largest, as it's the whole being)
2. Cells (make up the organism)
3. Chromosome (in cell nuclei)
4. DNA (makes up chromosomes)
5. Gene (part of DNA)
6. Traits (carried by genes, smallest here as they are the characteristics, not a physical structure like the others but in terms of the hierarchy of these terms related to inheritance, traits are the end product of gene expression, so the smallest in this grouping of these terms)

Answer:

Largest: Organism
Then: Cells
Then: Chromosome
Then: DNA
Then: Gene
Smallest: Traits

(In table form, filling the rows from largest to smallest:
Row 1 (Largest): Organism
Row 2: Cells
Row 3: Chromosome
Row 4: DNA
Row 5: Gene
Row 6 (Smallest): Traits)