Descent, heredity (7)
I believe the answer is:
lineage
This clue is a double definition.
'descent' is the first definition.
(I know this)
'heredity' is the second definition.
(I know that lineage is a type of hereditary pattern)
(Other definitions for lineage that I've seen before include "Ancestral line as seen in eagle" , "Descent from ancestors" , "Pedigree, family tree" , "Descent (from an ancestor)" , "Direct descent" .)