Descent
Part of speech: noun
Definition: An instance of descending A way down. A sloping passage or incline. Lineage or hereditary derivation A drop to a lower status or condition.
Example sentence: My parents were both from extremely different backgrounds. My father's Italian, my mother was of Swedish descent. They're both first-generation Americans.
Ancestry
Part of speech: noun
Definition: Condition as to ancestors; ancestral lineage; hence, birth or honorable descent.A series of ancestors or progenitors; lineage, or those who compose the line of natural descent.
Example sentence: And, you know, the fact is, if you believe in evolution, we all have a common ancestor, and we all have a common ancestry with the plant in the lobby. This is what evolution tells us. And, it's true. It's kind of unbelievable.