NCERT INTEXT QUESTIONS Q1. If a trait A exists in 10% of a population of an asexually reproducing species and a trait B exists in 60% of the same population, which trait is likely to have arisen earlier? Ans Trait B. To explain the reason, it is mentioned that there occurs no reshuffling of traits in asexually reproducing individuals of a population. Appearance of very few new traits in the population is due to small inaccuracies during DNA copying. These very few new traits will be in very small proportion than the traits already present. Thus, trait B which exists in 60% of population must have arisen earlier than trait A which occurs only in 10% of the population. Q2. How does the creation of variations in a species ensure survival? Ans Variations in a species arise either due to errors in DNA copying or during sexual reproduction. Force of natural selection selects individuals with useful variations in the prevailing environment so as to ensure their survival. The individuals with useful variations then increase in numbers trough differential reproduction in the population. Q3. How do Mendel experiments show that traits may be dominant or recessive? Ans When Mendel cross pollinated a pure male tall pea plant with pure female dwarf pea plant, he got only tall plants in F1 generation. When F1 tall plants were self pollinated, Mendel got both tall and dwarf plants in F2 generation in approximately 3 : 1 ratio. The trait of dwarfness was present in F 1 generation but it was not expressed and only trait of tallness was expressed. The character which gets expressed in the presence of its contrasting form is termed dominant trait. The trait which remains unexpressed in the presence of its contrasting form is termed recessive trait. Mendel called tall character as dominant and dwarf character as recessive. Q4. How do Mendels experiments show that traits are inherited independently?
Ans Mendel discovered that when crossing white flower and purple flower plants, the result is not a blend. Rather than being a mix of the two, the offspring was purple flowered. He then conceived the idea of heredity units, which he called "factors", one of which is a recessive characteristic and the other dominant. Mendel said that factors, later called genes, normally occur in pairs in ordinary body cells, yet segregate during the formation of sex cells. Each member of the pair becomes part of the separate sex cell. The dominant gene, such as the purple flower in Mendel's plants, will hide the recessive gene, the white flower. After Mendel self-fertilized the F1 generation and obtained the 3:1 ratio, he correctly theorized that genes can be paired in three different ways for each trait: AA, aa, and Aa. The capital "A" represents the dominant factor and lowercase "a" represents the recessive. (The last combination listed above, Aa, will occur roughly twice as often as each of the other two, as it can be made in two different ways, Aa or aA.) Mendel stated that each individual has two factors for each trait, one from each parent. The two factors may or may not contain the same information. If the two factors are identical, the individual is called homozygous for the trait. If the two factors have different information, the individual is called heterozygous. The alternative forms of a factor are called alleles. The genotype of an individual is made up of the many allele it possesses. An individual's physical appearance, or phenotype, is determined by its alleles as well as by its environment. An individual possesses two alleles for each trait; one allele is given by the female parent and the other by the male parent. They are passed on when an individual matures and produces gametes: egg and sperm. When gametes form, the paired alleles separate randomly so that each gamete receives a copy of one of the two alleles. The presence of an allele doesn't promise that the trait will be expressed in the individual that
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Q3. In evolutionary terms, we have more in common with (a) a Chinese school boy (b) a chimpanzee (c) a spider (d) a bacterium Ans (a) Q4. A study found that children with light-coloured eyes are likely to have parents with light coloured eyes. On this basis, can we say anything about whether the light eye colour traits is dominant or recessive? Why or why not? Ans No. From the given statement, we cannot say with certainty whether light eye colour is dominant or recessive. However, since both children and their parents have light eye colour, the possibility is that light eye colour is a recessive trait. Had the light eye colour been a dominant trait, the recessive dark eye colour might have appeared in some of the children. Q5. How are the areas of study-evolution and classification interlinked? Ans Classification refers to the arrangement of organisms into groups, sub-groups on the basis of similarities/dissimilarities and placing them in a hierarchy that reveals their relationships. Similarities or dissimilarities are determined on the basis of presence or absence of characteristics in the organisms. Characteristics of organisms refer to the details of external and internal appearance or behaviour that distinguish them from one another. They include ancestral and derived characteristics. These characteristics of organisms also form the basis for the classification of organisms. By identifying hierarchies of characteristics between species, we can work out the evolutionary relationships of the species that we see around us. Q6. Explain the terms analogous and homologous organs with examples? Ans Analogous Organs The organs which are quite different in fundamental structure and embryonic origin but perform same function and may superficially look alike in entirely different species are called analogous organs. Homologous organs The organs which perform different functions in different species but have similar basic structure and similar embryonic origin are called homologous organs. Q7. Outline a project which aims to find the dominant coat colour in dogs? Ans Can be left out from the chapter as it is a question of discussion forum and need not to be attempted. Q8. Explain the importance of fossils in deciding evolutionary relationships? Ans Enormous types of organisms that exist on the earth at present and also the fossils have large number of common features which provide evidences in favour of organic evolution and help us in tracing evolutionary relationships. All these evidences support the view that the present day diverse forms of living organisms have evolved from common ancestors. Q9. What evidence do we have for the origin of life from inanimate matter? Ans Miller and Urey experiment.
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