How does heredity affect a child's development?

Heredity plays a crucial role in a child's development primarily through the transmission of physical characteristics and temperament from their birth parents. This genetic inheritance lays the groundwork for various traits, such as height, eye color, and predispositions to certain health conditions. Additionally, temperament, which encompasses aspects like emotional reactivity and sociability, is also influenced by genetic factors.

This genetic foundation interacts with environmental influences as the child grows, shaping their overall development. While financial status and opportunities for growth can be affected by hereditary factors indirectly, they are not direct mechanisms of heredity itself. Similarly, learned behaviors resulting from education are more closely tied to environmental influences rather than heredity, making this option less relevant in explaining the direct impact of genetic inheritance on a child's development.