Past exam of the algebraic Geometry course of the University of Oxford / 2011 / 3 / c / i / Solution

A morphism $F:X\to Y$ is a continuous map in the Zariski topologies such that for every open $V\subseteq Y$ and every regular function $h$ on $V$, the pullback $h\circ F$ is regular on $F^{-1}(V)$.

Equivalently, near every point, choose affine charts of source and target; the target coordinates of $F$ must then be regular functions of the source coordinates. These local conditions agree on overlaps. In particular a morphism is defined at every point of its source, not merely on a dense open subset.