The characteristics that an offspring inherits from its parents are called traits.

Here's a breakdown:

* Traits: These are specific features or characteristics of an organism. Examples include eye color, hair color, height, and even things like disease susceptibility.

* Inheritance: This refers to the passing of traits from parents to offspring.

* Genetics: This is the branch of biology that studies how traits are inherited.

So, traits are the specific characteristics that offspring inherit, and the study of how those traits are passed down is called genetics.