Inherited characteristics
Analyse and interpret data to provide evidence that plants and animals have traits inherited from parents and that variation of these traits exists in a group of similar organisms
What a learner can do afterwards
- Define inherited traits as characteristics passed from parents to offspring
- Collect or interpret data showing variation within a group (e.g. different heights, colours, sizes)
- Explain that while traits are inherited, there is natural variation among individuals of the same species
1 · Read
You have compared offspring with their parents. An inherited trait is a characteristic affected by genetic information passed from parents to offspring. Fur color and seed shape are examples. This information helps explain family resemblance. A scar from an injury or a skill gained through practice is acquired during life, not inherited through genes.
To find how much taller one plant is, compare the heights. The tallest is 52 cm and the shortest is 39 cm. Find the difference by counting up: 39 to 40 adds 1, 40 to 50 adds 10, and 50 to 52 adds 2. Add the jumps: 1 + 10 + 2 = 13. The height difference is 52 - 39 = 13 cm.
To count plants taller than 46 cm, check each height against 46. Only 52 cm and 47 cm are greater, so two plants count. A plant measuring exactly 46 cm would not count as taller than 46 cm.
Variation means differences within a species. Record each kitten's coat pattern, then count each pattern. Siblings can inherit different mixes of genes, so different coat patterns do not rule out shared parents.
Plants from one seed packet can vary in height. Genes and growing conditions, such as light and water, can affect height and weight. Measurements show differences, but cannot tell us how much each cause contributed.
Compare traits to describe variation. Differences alone do not tell us their cause.
Five original readings and six flashcards written for this learning dataset. Background study included Khan Academy inheritance articles and a Fast Plants investigation catalog record.
More to read
A feature and its origin
A feature can resemble a parent's feature for different reasons. Natural fur color is affected by inherited information. A dog learning to fetch after watching its parent is learning a skill.
Ask how the feature developed. Information received through genes is inherited. A scar left by an injury is acquired during life. Having a scar in the same place as a parent does not make the scar inherited.
Genes and inherited features
The information parents pass to offspring is carried in DNA. A gene is a part of DNA that carries information affecting traits. Genes help explain similarities between parents and their offspring.
Siblings can receive different mixes of genes, so their inherited features can differ. An inherited feature need not be visible at birth. Some features become easier to notice as an animal grows. Looking different at different ages does not make every such feature acquired.
Make a record of variation
Choose one feature to compare among living things of the same species. For height, write a measurement and its unit for each plant. For coat color, write an observation for each animal.
Keep one record for each individual, even when two records match. Compare measurements or count how many animals have each color. Variation means differences within the species. Several individuals can share a color or have the same measured height.
Compare generations
A record of offspring alone can show differences within their group. To study family resemblance, record the same feature in their parents too.
For example, compare seed shapes in parent pea plants and plants grown from their seeds. Keep track of which offspring belong to which parents. Record matches and differences across several families. A shared feature can support an inheritance explanation, but one matching feature does not prove that two plants are related.
A difference needs an explanation
A plant's height can be affected by genes and by its growing conditions. Recording height tells you how tall the plant is. It does not tell you how much each influence contributed.
When comparing plants, also record their ages and conditions, such as light and water. Use the same unit and measure from the soil surface to the top of each plant. These records help you investigate a difference without assuming its cause.
2 · Watch
Take it off screen
Where it sits
Where this leads
Jobs that lean on this skill. Follow one to see everything it is built on.
8 questions wait behind this lesson, each with its answer explained. Every answer feeds the sky: stars light as they are learned, and dim when it is time to come back.