Final answer:
A gene is a piece of hereditary material that is passed from parents to offspring and contains instructions for making proteins or controlling traits.
Step-by-step explanation:
A gene can be defined as a piece of hereditary material that is passed from parents to offspring. It is a segment of DNA that contains the instructions for making a specific protein or controlling a specific trait. Genes are responsible for determining various traits, such as eye color, height, and susceptibility to certain diseases.
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