What is the difference between hereditary and genes?

They are two sides of the same coin; hereditary traits are traits ped on from your parents or ancestors. Genes are the actual mechanisms by which this happens. A gene is a specific sequence of bases in your DNA that codes for an RNA molecule and usually a protein. These proteins perform very important functions in the human body and determine everything about a person. You inherit all your genes and all your DNA from both parents, have a set of DNA from each parents. That is why genes determine a person's hereditary or inherited traits.