24 December 202

4
9A Genetics and
Evolution

Lesson 3: Inheritance and Variation

 STARTER: Inherited, environmental or both?
Create a table with the above headings and organize the
following characteristics (remember to use a pencil and ruler!)

Ability to roll your

tongue
Lobed ears Intelligence
Height Tattoo Diabetes
Skin colour
Weight Having a scar from an
Accent
Religion injury

Dyed hair Blood group Eye colour Sporting ability

 Answers
Inherited​ Environmental​ Both​
Lobed ears​ Dyed hair​ Height​
Ability to roll Religion​ Weight​
your tongue​

Blood group​ Accent​ Sporting ability​

Skin colour​ Tattoo​ Intelligence​

Eye colour​ Having a scar from an Diabetes​

injury​
 Learning Objectives
Developing
Identify and give examples of environmental and genetic variation
Explain how environmental variation is caused
Identify continuous and discontinuous variation
Correctly use the term species
Securing
Explain why environmental variation can confuse the idea of a species and make
classification and identification difficult
Exceeding
Recall that some animal behaviour is learned (environmental) and some is innate
(inherited)
Describe how learned behaviour is beneficial to an organism
Suggest what
resources this
record-breaking
sunflower was given
to allow it to grow as
tall as it did.

Light,
water,
heat,
mineral salts
Environment
• An organism’s surroundings are called its
environment.
• Environmental factors can change the organism and
how it grows.
• Physical environmental factors are non-living things
such as the temperature, amount of light or pH.
• These are called abiotic factors (non-living).
 Copy down the following key
words and their definitions:

Variation- differences between the characteristics of organisms.

Species - A group of living things that have more in common
with each other than with other groups. This allows them to
mate to produce fertile offspring. ​
Environmental Variation- variation caused by an organism’s
environment.
Genetic Variation - these are differences between individuals
that are inherited from parents, such as the colour of your eyes,
hair and skin.
 Variation
• Differences in characteristics are
known as variation. ​

• Some variation is from characteristics

people have inherited from their
parents, e.g. eye colour. This is known
as inherited variation. ​

• Variation caused by your surroundings

and what happens to you is called
environmental variation. e.g. your
characteristics can be affected by
factors such as your diet, education,
and lifestyle.
 Species
• A species is a group of
organisms capable of
interbreeding and producing
fertile offspring, and which
does not normally breed
with other groups.
• Dogs show significant
variation but can all
interbreed and produce
fertile offspring. Dogs are
therefore one species.
 Ligress
• Lions and tigers are able
to interbreed producing a
hybrid called a liger or
tigon. However, ligers
and tigons are infertile
and cannot produce their
own offspring. Lions and
tigers are therefore
different species.
• As long as a population
has the opportunity to
interbreed and exchange
genes, they remain one
species.
Genetic Variation
You can often tell if people are
members of the same family -
they look alike. ​

The children have inherited

some characteristics from each
of their parents. ​

Brothers and sisters do not look

completely the same, as they
each inherit a different mixture
of characteristics.
 Progress Check
State 3 environmental
factors that will affect plant
growth

Describe the variation

between these plants.

Suggest examples of
environmental variation in
humans.
Recall: Types of Variation
Variation can either be continuous or discontinuous.

Discuss what you think each of these words means.

End
1 minute
What is discontinuous variation?

• Characteristics that can only result in certain

values show discontinuous variation.
• e.g., gender shows discontinuous variation.
There are only two possible values: you are
either male or female.
• Other characteristics that show
Discontinuous variation which is where the
discontinuous variation blood group and eye data can only be limited set of values e.g.
eye colour. This should be plotted on a bar
colour. chart.
 What is continuous variation?

• A characteristic can take any value within a

range is said to show continuous variation.
• e.g., the height of the population ranges from
the shortest person in the world to the tallest
person. Everyone else’s height can be any value
in between.
Continuous variation which is where the data
• Other characteristics that show continuous can be any value in a range e.g. weight. This
should be plotted on a histogram.
variation are your body mass, hair length, and
arm span.
 Patterns of variation

• To study variation, scientists take

measurements of different characteristics
within the species.
• To draw conclusions, they must collect
measurements from large numbers of the
population.
• This data is then plotted on a graph so that
patterns in the data can be easily spotted.
 Plotting continuous and discontinuous variation
A line is often added to the This type of variation
chart to make it easier to see usually produces a
the shape of the graph. curve, which is know as
a normal distribution.

• Characteristics that show discontinuous variation • Characteristics that show continuous variation should
should be plotted on a bar chart. be plotted on a histogram.
• Characteristics that occur only as a result of inherited • Characteristics that occur as a result of both
variation normally show discontinuous variation.
environmental and inherited variation usually show
continuous variation.
 WORKSHEET - QUICK CHECK QUESTIONS

Q1. State what is meant by variation.

Q2. Define species and give an example

Q3. Complete the following sentence to describe the difference

between environmental variation and inherited or genetic variation:
Environmental variation is differences in characteristics caused by the
environment around you …
 QUICK CHECK QUESTIONS
Q4. State what is meant by discontinuous variation.

Q5. State what is meant by continuous variation.

Q6. State the type of graph that should be used to plot discontinuous data.

Q7. State the type of graph that should be used to plot continuous data.

Q8. Sort the following sets of data into discontinuous or continuous variation:
Blood group, eye colour, height, hair colour, arm span, mass, sex.
 ANSWERS:
Q1. Variation - differences between the characteristics of organisms.

Q2. Species - A group of living things that have similar characteristics

which allows them to mate to produce fertile offspring.

Q3. Genetic variation - these are differences between individuals that

are inherited from parents
 ANSWERS:
Q4. Characteristics that can only result in certain values show
discontinuous variation.

Q5. A characteristic can take any value within a range is said to show
continuous variation.
Q8. Discontinuous Variation Continuous Variation
Blood group Height
Q6. Bar chart Eye colour Arm span
Hair colour Mass
Q7. Histogram
Sex
 ANSWERS:
Q9 (a) 325- 329.

(b) Normal distribution

(c) There are more birds with an average wingspan than either a
short or long wingspan.
In pairs - look at the
graphs on the board
and be prepared to
explain which type of
variation each graph is
showing.
Classification and difficulty with environmental
variation
Environmental variation can sometimes
cause problems with classification and make
identification of species difficult.
In 2003, bones were discovered of a 1m tall
human like species on the Flores Island in
Indonesia.
Some scientists thought it was from our own
species (Homo sapiens) whereas others
thought they were from another species
(Homo Floresiensis) now extinct.
Homo floresiensis | The Smithsonian Institution's Human Origins Program
 Is a bat a bird?
• Another example where environmental variation
can sometimes cause problems with classification
and make identification of species difficult is called
convergent evolution.

• Both bats and birds (an pterosaurs) have evolved

wings to fly BUT, each belong to a different
class of organism and therefore have very distant
common ancestors.
How is learned behaviour beneficial to an organism?
• Unlike instinctual behaviour, learned behaviour is not
programmed within an organism’s genes. It develops over time
in response to environmental stimuli. They are adaptable and
vary across individuals and environments.

• Learned behaviours can be modified through reinforcement,

punishment, and other forms of conditioning, allowing
organisms to adjust their responses based on changing
circumstances.
Instinct vs. Learned Behavior: Unveiling Nature's Blueprint -
AnimalBehaviorCorner
 Learned behaviour enhances survival
• Primates acquire social hierarchies through
interactions with their peers.
• Birds learn what they can eat through trial and
error.
• Honey bees learn to complete a ‘waggle dance’
to tell others in the bee colony where the best
flowers are.

• Learned behaviors enable organisms to

navigate and thrive in diverse environments by
adapting their responses based on past
experiences and environmental cues.
• Complete the HW sheet to
practice math skills.
• Ensure your worksheets are
completed and stuck into your
book.
The Perfect Graph
Add an appropriate title to
your graph

USE A SHARP PENCIL AND A RULER.

DRAW YOUR GRAPH TO A GOOD Draw a line/curve of best
SIZE! fit.
DO NOT join up the dots!
Dependent variable on y-axis, what
are you measuring (length of leaf).

Use a suitable scale for each axis

LABEL YOUR AXES (INCLUDING

UNITS)
Independent variable on x-axis, what are
you changing (light intensity).
Plant Growth
 Question you have
Pyramid about the lesson

Things you
have been
reminded
of today

Things
you have
learned
today