遺い伝でん

Kanji

• 遺bequeath, leave behind, reserve
• 伝transmit, go along, walk along

Similar words

• 遺い伝でん子し

  遺伝子 specifically means 'gene', the physical unit of heredity, while 遺伝 refers to the broader concept or process of inheritance.

• 遺い伝でん学がく

  遺伝学 is the academic field of 'genetics', whereas 遺伝 is the phenomenon itself.

Etymology

From 遺 (leave behind, bequeath) and 伝 (transmit, pass down). The compound directly conveys the idea of traits being passed down through generations.