Importance of Heredity in Development

• Heredity means the traits and abilities passed down from parents through genes. It gives a person basic potential — like intelligence, height, or skin colour.
• The environment includes all factors around a person (like nutrition, education, family, and culture) that help shape how inherited traits show up.

• Both heredity and the environment work together to form a person’s behavior, personality, and abilities.
• Heredity decides the range of possible traits (called the reaction range).
• The environment decides the expression — how much of that inherited potential appears in the person.

If two children have similar genes for intelligence but one receives balanced food, love, and education, that child will likely perform better than the other, showing how both heredity and environment are necessary.

• Heredity provides basic traits and potential, such as intelligence and physical features.
• The environment includes factors like family, education, and nutrition that shape development.
• Both heredity and environment work together to influence personality and behaviour.
• Heredity sets the limit (potential), while the environment decides how much it develops.
• A proper environment helps a person achieve their full inherited potential.