B2 Chapter 3 Checkpoint

Revision (Route A)
Gian De Guzman 96

Variation
1 Read the following statements about variation. Some of the statements are
false. Cross out the false statements. Then use the information to write a
complete definition of variation.
✗ Twins are exactly the same and show no difference in characteristics.
✗ Variation is always caused by the surroundings.
× Variation is always inherited.
✓ Variation can be caused by the surroundings and through inheritance.
Variation occurs between different species.

: Variation occurs within a species.

Differences in characteristics are known as variation.

variation can be caused by the surroundings and through inheritance

variation occurs within a species .

Differences in characteristics are known as variation .

2 There are two types of variation in organisms: continuous and discontinuous.

Draw a line to link each type of variation to the correct example of variation.

Then draw a line that links each example to the type of graph that you would
use to display the results.

3 Characteristics that show continuous variation can be plotted on a histogram.

You can recognise continuous variation as the measurements can be any value
from one extreme to another.

© Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
B2 Chapter 3 Checkpoint
Revision (Route A)

Some students carried out a survey into body mass in their class. The data is
continuous, and is shown in the table below.

Number of
Height (cm)
people
130–134 2

135–139 4

140–144 6

I
145–149 8
8-

150–154 6
6-

155–159 4
4-
160–164 2
2-

>
Step 1 130 -

134 135-139 140-144 145-149 150-154 155-159 160-164

Draw your x-axis on a piece of graph paper. The x-axis is the horizontal.
You need to make a space on your scale for each interval (130–134 cm is an
interval).
Each interval has the same range (5 cm), so your space for each interval
should be the same. Label each interval on the scale.
Label your axis ‘Height (cm)’.

Step 2
Draw your y-axis on a piece of paper. The y-axis is vertical.
Your scale should cover 0–10 people. You need to make sure you add markers
to your scale for the number of people. You could add a marker for every 2
people.

Step 3
Draw your bars on your histogram. For each interval, use your y-axis scale to
find the height. Draw a line at that height for the interval, and then vertical
lines to make the bar.

© Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
B2 Chapter 3 Checkpoint
Revision (Route A)

Evolution and inheritance

Inheritance

4 Fill in the gaps using the key words shown in bold.

genes characteristics chromosomes DNA

You inherit characteristics from your parents through genetic material stored in

the nucleus of your cells. This material is a chemical called DNA

(deoxyribonucleic acid). It contains all the information needed to make an

organism.

Inside the nucleus, your DNA is arranged into long strands called

chromosomes . Humans have 46 chromosomes .

You inherit half of your genes from your mother and half from

your father. This is why you share some of your characteristics with

your mother and some with your father.

Each chromosome is divided into sections of DNA. The sections that hold the

information to produce a characteristic are called genes .

© Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
B2 Chapter 3 Checkpoint
Revision (Route A)

5 Cystic fibrosis is a genetically inherited disorder.

A genetically inherited disorder is a condition passed from parents to their offspring in
their genes.
a Describe one symptom of cystic fibrosis.

Jaundice / Yellowing of skin (1 mark)

b The gene for cystic fibrosis is ‘c’. The healthy gene is ‘C’. The gene for cystic fibrosis is
recessive.
Write the genotype for someone who is a carrier of cystic fibrosis.

co (1 mark)

c Person A has cystic fibrosis. Person B is a carrier of cystic fibrosis.

Calculate the chance of Person A and Person B having a baby with cystic fibrosis.
-
C c

c co co
214 or 50% chance of having
cystic Fibrosis .

c cc cc

6 Joanna has brown eyes and her husband Nick has blue eyes. The allele for brown
eyes is a dominant allele, but the allele for blue eyes is recessive.
a Describe the difference between dominant and recessive alleles.

Dominant alleles need only one copy to express the

trait . Whereas recessive alleles need 2 copies .

(2 marks)
b Decide what colour eyes Joanna and Nick’s baby will have.

Present the result as a percentage.

100% chance of brown eyes (2 marks)

Father

b b

B Bb Bb
Mother
B Bb Bb

(2 marks)

© Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
B2 Chapter 3 Checkpoint
Revision (Route A)

nucleus > chromosome > DNA > genes

7 Natural selection and evolution

Natural selection is a process. When you describe a process, you can think about
the order it happens to help you structure your description. Complete the boxes
in this flow chart to describe the theory of natural selection.

Describe variation.

variation is difference in characteristics within

a species .

Describe the process of ‘survival of the fittest’.

survival of the fittest states that

variations

which give survival / reproductive advantage will

outlive other variations .

Describe how genes and characteristics are passed on.

Genes carry genetic code which dictates characteristics
of an organism When 2 parents reproduce their offspring
.
,

inherits half of their genes from each parent .

Describe how this leads to evolution.

some variations a species grant survival / reproductive
within
advantages which allow them to live longer than other variations .

Because of that these variations are passed down more often

, ,

leading to evolution .

© Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
B2 Chapter 3 Checkpoint
Revision (Route A)

8 A farmer wants to selectively breed his cows to produce more milk.

Put these statements in the correct order. The first one has been done for you.

Farmer decides on the important characteristic. 1

This is repeated for many generations. 5

The framer allows those two cows to breed. 3

Farmer selects a male and female with that characteristic. 2

When the offspring grow up, the famer breeds the best ones. 4

(3 marks)

9 Describe how animals such as the woolly mammoth became extinct.

Animals such as the woolly mammoth can go extinct for several

reasons , namely :
change in the environment outbreak ,
of disease .

destruction of habitat and introduction

, of new competitors / predators .

10 Link the following techniques used to prevent extinction with their descriptions.

This is when animals are bred in

human-controlled environments. The aim of
this technique is to create a stable, healthy
seed banks
population of a species before
re-introducing the species back into its
natural habitat.

This is the protection of natural

environment to ensure that habitats are not
captive breeding
lost. This reduces disruption to food chains
and webs.

This technique conserves plants by storing

seeds of many different plant species under
conservation carefully controlled conditions. In the event
that a plant species becomes extinct, the
seeds kept under this technique can be

© Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.
B2 Chapter 3 Checkpoint
Revision (Route A)

used to reintroduce the species.

© Oxford University Press 2014 www.oxfordsecondary.co.uk/acknowledgements

This resource sheet may have been changed from the original.