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Inherited Traits and Learned
Behaviors (Acquired Traits)
How would you describe yourself?
Make a list of 5 characteristics…
Genes
What are genes?
Inside every cell of each living thing (plant or
animal) are sets of instructions called genes
Genes provide the instructions on what the
plant or animal is, what it looks like, how it
survives, and how it will interact with its
surrounding environment.
Genes are strung together in long strands
of material called deoxyribonucleic acid
(DNA)
Definition of Genes
A gene is the basic physical and
functional unit of heredity.
Genes, which are made up of DNA (train
cars), act as instructions (blueprints) to
make molecules called proteins (tools for
the cell to function)
DNA- entire train
Genes- each train car
(remember, chromatin = loosely coiled,
easy to read and chromosomes = tightly
coiled, easy to move- only appear during
cell division
Essential Questions
How are inherited traits different from
acquired traits?
Vocabulary to Know:
Genes
DNA
Inherited trait
Acquired trait
Now let’s say that you have brown eyes
and you like to play basketball…
Consider this…does anyone else in your
family have brown eyes or like to play
basketball?
Probably only a few of them like to play
basketball…but one of your parents have
brown eyes. Your eye color came from
your parents, however you learned to
play basketball.
Humans and other animals are a mix of
characteristics from their parents and
behaviors they learned on their own
Inherited trait: A physical characteristic
that is passed from a parent to their baby
(offspring) through genes/DNA
Inherited Traits
Eye color
Skin color
Hair color
Curly or straight hair
Dimples
Freckles
Height
Are your ear lobes attached to the side of
your head, or do they hang free?
The shape of your ear lobe is an inherited
trait.
Learned Behaviors (acquired traits)
Are you better at using the computer than
the some of the adults in your family? If
so, you learned how to do this. You did
not inherit this behavior from your
parents.
We learn many behaviors that helps us
every day. These behaviors include how to
make a sandwich, read,
and be polite to others.
Can you learn behaviors that do not help
you?
Yes!
They can include watching television or
eating poorly.
Can animals learn behaviors?
Yes! Can your dog sit?
Let’s review…
An inherited trait is a physical
characteristic that is passed from parents
to their babies (offspring) through genes
(DNA)
An acquired trait is a learned behavior or
way of acting that is not inherited, but
rather learned from others.
Quiz Time
Which of these is an inherited trait?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Liking the color red
Having long fingers
Wearing your hair in a ponytail
Liking chocolate ice cream
Which of these is an acquired trait?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Having long eyelashes
Having curly hair
Heading south in the fall
Liking peanut butter sandwiches
Which of these can you change?
a. Your inherited traits
b. Your acquired traits
A woman is an excellent cook. Why are
her children likely to become good cooks?
a.
b.
c.
d.
They will learn to cook by instinct
They will learn to cook by watching
They will inherit her cooking skills
Cooking is an inherited trait