Download Wearing Your Genes

DATE:
NAME:
Science 9
Biological Diversity
CLASS:
Wearing Your Genes
Topic 4
Textbook
Read pages 37 – 45 in your textbook and answer the following questions
1. The passing on of traits from parents to their offspring is called _________________. The branch
of science that deals with the study of heredity is called ________________.
Two Kinds of Inherited Variation
2. Define CONTINUOUS VARIATION –
3. List some human characteristics that are examples of continuous variation.
4. Define DISCRETE VARIATION –
5. List some human characteristics that are examples of discrete variation.
Dominant or Recessive?
6. Children inherit their genes from ________ parents. However, children do not always show their
parents’ __________.
7. Define DOMINANT (TRAIT) –
8. Define RECESSIVE (TRAIT) –
9. Using tongue rolling as an example, explain how two parents, one with the “tongue-rolling” trait
and the other with the “non-roller” trait, would have a child that has the “tongue-rolling”. Use the
terms dominant and recessive to explain your answer.
10. Dominance and __________________ are not the same. The _________________ of a trait can
vary from population to population.
Nature Versus Nurture
11. Not all characteristics are __________________. Some characteristics depend entirely on the
_____________________.
12. The interactions between a person’s _____________ (nature) and the __________________
(nurture) are complex and not well understood.
13. Explain what is meant by the “nature vs. nurture” debate.
14. Studies on “nature vs. nurture” usually involve identical __________. Explain why.
Changing Our Genetic Information
15. Our genetic information itself can be changed by factors in the _________________ and by
random ______________.
16. Define MUTATIONS –
17. List some examples of mutagens (things that cause mutations).
18. Sometimes mutations have __________ or no effect on an organism. In some cases, mutations
in individuals cells cause _____________.
19. If mutations occur in the DNA of reproductive cells (____________ or _________), the changes
may be passed on from parent to child.
20. Usually, the mutations result in variations that are __________________. Occasionally,
however, the new variations are ________________ or even __________________.
Review
21. Is the variation in height in human populations an example of discrete or continuous variation?
22. Is human skin color purely an inherited trait? Explain why or why not.