Every gene sits at a specific spot on a chromosome, and alleles are the different versions of that gene. You draw a chromosome on paper, then draw lines across it to mark the spots where genes sit. At every spot, you design at least two versions of each gene — showing how different allele pairs produce different visible traits.

Offspring inherit one version of each gene from each parent, and those different versions are alleles. Each dragon chromosome stick has two sides — one dominant, one recessive. The side that lands face-up determines which allele is passed on, and the resulting pair decides the baby dragon's visible traits.

Which versions of a gene an organism carries — its alleles — determine whether it shows a harmless or dangerous trait. Plantfairies with dominant alleles produce harmless dwarves with frog tongues, while those carrying two recessive alleles become dangerous giants with dagger teeth. Punnett squares let you track allele inheritance and predict which organisms carry hidden recessive versions of the gene.