  We analyse the evolutionary history of galaxies formed in a hierarchical
scenario consistent with the concordance $\Lambda$-CDM model focusing on the
study of the relation between their chemical and dynamical properties. Our
simulations consistently describe the formation of the structure and its
chemical enrichment within a cosmological context. Our results indicate that
the luminosity-metallicity (LZR) and the stellar mass-metallicity (MZR)
relations are naturally generated in a hierarchical scenario. Both relations
are found to evolve with redshift. In the case of the MZR, the estimated
evolution is weaker than that deduced from observational works by approximately
0.10 dex. We also determine a characteristic stellar mass, $M_c \approx 3
\times 10^{10} M_{\odot}$, which segregates the simulated galaxy population
into two distinctive groups and which remains unchanged since $z\sim 3$, with a
very weak evolution of its metallicity content. The value and role played by
$M_c$ is consistent with the characteristic mass estimated from the SDSS galaxy
survey by Kauffmann et al. (2004). Our findings suggest that systems with
stellar masses smaller than $M_c$ are responsible for the evolution of this
relation at least from $ z\approx 3$. Larger systems are stellar dominated and
have formed more than 50 per cent of their stars at $z \ge 2$, showing very
weak evolution since this epoch. We also found bimodal metallicity and age
distributions from $z\sim3$, which reflects the existence of two different
galaxy populations. Although SN feedback may affect the properties of galaxies
and help to shape the MZR, it is unlikely that it will significantly modify
$M_c$ since, from $z=3$ this stellar mass is found in systems with circular
velocities larger than $100 \kms$.
