Download Genetics Study Guide

Genetics Study Guide
Name
Date
Vocabulary
Parent - a person, animal or plant that produces offspring or young
Offspring – the young of a person, animal or plant
Inherited trait – a characteristic that a living thing gets from its parents
Eg: eye color
Learned behavior – a skill that a person or an animal develops after it is born
Eg: how to ride a bike or swim
Acquired trait – a characteristic that a living thing gets during its lifetime
Eg: a scar one receives from an accident
Community – all of the populations that live in the same area
Population - a group of organisms of the same species living in the same place
Individual – a single organism in an environment
Behavior – a way in which a living thing acts or responds to its surroundings
Trait – a quality or characteristic of a living thing
Gene – structures on a chromosome that contain the DNA code for a trait an
organism inherits.
Genetics – a branch of biology that deals with inherited traits and variations of
organisms
Examples of Inherited Traits
Examples of Acquired Traits
A girl has brown eyes
A boy is tall
A rose has red flowers
A dog has curly fur
A bird knows how to build a nest
A tree has large round leaves
A girl can speak Spanish
A boy knows how to play the piano
A plant’s leaves have brown spot disease
A dog know how to fetch a stick
A bird know where to find a bird feeder
A tree’s trunk is scarred by lightning.