NSES Content Standard C  Life Science: Reproduction and heredity Grades 5-8, page 157 Hereditary information is contained in genes, located in the chromosomes of each cell. Each gene carries a single unit of information. An inherited trait of an individual can be determined by one or many genes, and a single gene can influence more than one trait. A human cell contains many thousands of different genes.

 
Benchmark 5B The Living Environment: Heredity
Grades 3-5, page 107
For offspring to resemble their parents, there must be a reliable way to transfer information from one generation to the next.

Benchmark 5B The Living Environment: Heredity
Grades 9-12, page 108
The information passed from parents to offspring is coded in DNA molecules.

Benchmark 5B The Living Environment: Heredity
Grades 9-12, page 109
Genes are segments of DNA molecules. Inserting, deleting, or substituting DNA segments can alter genes. An altered gene may be passed on to every cell that develops from it. The resulting features may help, harm, or have little or no effect on the offspring's success in its environment.