Thousands of different traits make you who you are. Some traits, such as eye color, are determined mostly or entirely by genes. These kinds of traits are said to be due to nature.

Most traits, however, develop through a combination of nature (your genes) and nurture (everything in your life–where you live, the people you know, and even just luck).

Scientists all agree that both nature and nurture play important roles in who you are.

Take a tour of Mendel Park and solve the genetic riddle. The park is named after Gregor Mendel, a scientist from the 1800s who discovered the rules of genetics. By experimenting with pea plants, Mendel figured out how traits are passed from one generation to the next.