Variation Flashcards
What is variation?
Differences within a species
What are the two types of vartiation?
Genetic variation and environmental variation
What causes genetic variation?
Different genes combining together from both parents
What are an organisms characteristics determined by?
The genes inherited from their parents
How are genes passed from parents to child?
In sex cells (gametes)
In animals what are characteristics ONLY determined by genes?
- Eye colour
- Blood group
- Inherited disorders (eg cystic fibrosis)
What is environmental variation?
Variation (differences) in species caused by the environment they live and grow in
What are most characteristics due to?
Genes AND environment
What characteristics are due to both genes and environment?
- Body weight
- Height
- Skin colour
- Condition of teeth
- Academic or athletic prowness
What does the nucleus contain?
Your genetic material in the form of chromosomes
How many chromosomes do human calls have?
46, in 23 pairs
What do chromosomes carry?
Genes
What is a gene? and what do genes do?
A gene is a short length of the chromosome which code for a specific characteristic
Different genes control the development of different characteristics (eg hair colour, eye colour)
What are alleles?
Different versions of the same gene
What is a chromosome?
A long strand of DNA
