Autosomal inheritance refers to the transmission of genetic traits through the autosomes, which are the non-sex chromosomes in humans. Each individual has 22 pairs of autosomes, and one pair of sex chromosomes. Traits inherited through these chromosomes can be dominant or recessive, affecting how they are expressed in offspring. In dominant inheritance, only one copy of a gene from either parent is needed for the trait to appear, while in recessive inheritance, two copies (one from each parent) are required. This means that a child can inherit traits from both parents, influencing characteristics such as eye color or blood type.