12 Questions
What is the term for the presence of differences between living things of the same species?
Variation
Which statement about inherited variation is true?
Inherited variation results from genetic information from parents.
What is an example of inherited variation in humans?
Hair color
Why are children not identical to their parents?
Because they get half of their DNA and inherited features from each parent.
Which factor contributes to variation within a species?
Genetic information and environmental influences
What happens when egg and sperm cells join at fertilization?
A new cell is formed with all the genetic information needed for an individual.
What is an example of an inherited variation mentioned in the text?
Eye color
Which characteristic shows continuous variation according to the text?
Height
What causes environmental variation in characteristics of animal and plant species?
Culture
Why is human blood group an example of discontinuous variation?
Only four blood groups are possible.
What is an example of an environmental variation mentioned in the text?
Flower color in hydrangeas
Which factor can influence characteristics like weight and height according to the text?
Diet
Study Notes
What is Variation?
- Variation refers to the presence of differences between living things of the same species.
- Variation between different species is usually greater than the variation within a species.
Inherited and Environmental Variation
- Inherited variation: result of genetic information from parents
- Examples: eye colour, hair colour, skin colour, lobed or lobeless ears, ability to roll your tongue
- Environmental variation: result of factors such as climate, diet, accidents, culture, and lifestyle
- Examples: language, religion, flower colour in hydrangeas (dependent on soil pH)
Both Inherited and Environmental Causes
- Some features vary due to a mixture of inherited and environmental causes
- Example: identical twins with different weights due to differing diets
Continuous and Discontinuous Variation
- Continuous variation: characteristic changes gradually over a range of values
- Examples: human height, weight
- Graphical representation: curved line
- Discontinuous variation: characteristic has only a limited number of possible values
- Examples: human blood group (A, B, AB, or O), sex (male or female)
Learn about variation in living things, including inherited and environmental factors that contribute to differences within a species. Explore how variation manifests in characteristics like eye color, hair color, and height.
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