Genetic means relating to genes, the tiny instruction codes inside every living cell that determine traits and characteristics. Your genes influence everything from your eye color to your height to whether you can roll your tongue. You inherit these genes from your parents, which is why you might have your mom's curly hair or your dad's freckles.

When scientists study genetic traits, they're investigating how these invisible instructions get passed down through families. Some genetic conditions, like color blindness or sickle cell anemia, run in families because the genes for them get inherited. Plant breeders use genetic knowledge to create tomatoes that taste better or corn that grows taller.

The field of genetics has exploded in recent decades. Scientists can now read the complete genetic code of organisms, edit genes to treat diseases, and even use genetic testing to trace your ancestors back thousands of years. When doctors talk about your genetic makeup, they mean the complete set of genes that makes you uniquely you.

Genetic is different from generic, which means ordinary or unbranded. That's a common mix-up in spelling, but the meanings couldn't be more different: genetic is about the biological instructions that create life itself.