Which diagram shows inheritance across generations?

• A. Genome
• B. Karyotype
• C. Punnett Square
• D. Pedigree

Answer: (D)

Tracking inheritance across generations is best shown with a pedigree. A pedigree maps family members over multiple generations, using symbols for males and females and lines for marriages and offspring, so you can see how a trait appears and recurs in relatives over time. This format makes it possible to infer patterns of inheritance—whether a trait is likely autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or sex-linked—by watching who in each generation is affected and how the trait passes to children and grandchildren. The other diagrams don’t depict family lineage across generations: a genome is the complete set of genetic material of an individual, not a family history; a karyotype shows chromosome number and structure in a single person, not how traits are inherited across relatives; a Punnett square predicts allele combinations for a single set of parental partners and their immediate offspring, not multi-generational patterns.