Now that you know variation is passed on through

reproduction, how do characteristics show up in

individuals?

Does the environment effect which characteristics an

organism has?
 Heritable and Non-Heritable Characteristics

• Heritable characteristics are passed down from

generation to generation through the DNA.

• Examples: structural and distinguishing traits such as

eye color, hair type, skin color and ear lobes.
 Heritable and Non-Heritable Characteristics

• Non-Heritable characteristics are learned or acquired

and not necessarily passed on from generation to
generation.

• These can include athleticism, artistic ability, having big

muscles, dyed hair
"All the Weasleys have red hair, freckles, and more children than
they can afford."
-- Draco Malfoy (Sorcerers Stone, Ch.6)

He was almost twice as tall as a normal man and at least five times as
wide. (Sorcerer’s Stone, Ch.1)

Harry had a thin face, knobby knees, black hair, and bright green
eyes.
(Sorcerer’s Stone, Ch.1)

A pale boy with a pointed face and white- blond hair, Draco greatly
resembled his father. His mother was blonde too... (Goblet of Fire,
Ch.8)
 Discrete vs. Continuous Variation
• Discrete variations - characteristics that only
have a few choices, either/or

• Example: being able to roll your tongue or not;

albino or not; blood types
 Discrete vs. Continuous Variation

• Continuous variations - differences that have a range of

forms

• Example: height, weight, hair color

 Variations and the Environment
• Some variations may be influenced by interactions
with the environment. These variations are NOT
inherited.

• Example: Height and weight. How are these

influenced by the environment?

• Example: Changes in pigmentation of skin color

throughout different seasons
 DNA is the inherited material responsible for
variation

Jurassic Park Mr. DNA Sequence

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qUaFYzFFbBU
 DNA- Transmitter of Genetic Code
• What does every organism have?
DNA!

• What does DNA stand for?

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

• What is DNA?
• DNA is a blueprint
• It is the genetic material found in the nucleus of
cells.
• It is the inherited material responsible for variation.
 Where is the DNA located?

• Every single cell has DNA in its nucleus

• A nucleus is the “brain-center” of the cell

 What is the function of DNA?

• DNA codes are instructions or blueprints for the

development of all living things
 DNA and The Genetic Code
• James Watson and Francis Crick were the first
to discover the shape of DNA

• DNA looks similar to a twisted ladder

• The sides of the ladder are the same in all

DNA molecules, but the rungs are what makes
the variation.
DNA and The Genetic Code
• Each rung is made up of a pair of chemicals called
guanine (G), cytosine (C), thymine (T), adenine(A).

• A always bonds with T

• G always bonds with C

 The Genetic Code
• The arrangement of the four chemical “letters” can be read by
cells in words, or instructions and is called the genetic code.
• All organisms have DNA from the same “instructions”
Draw a section of DNA with the genetic code
(don’t forget which letter can be paired together)
 Chromosomes
• Cells need lots of DNA to code for all the
characteristics of an organism
• If the DNA from a human cell was stretched out, it
would be about 2m long! More than 1 000 000 times
the length of the cell!

• To fit, DNA is packaged into smaller groupings called

chromosomes.
• Humans have 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent
 Chromosomes
• Each organism has a different amount of chromosomes

• A dog has 78 chromosomes in a complete set

How many pairs of chromosomes does a dog have then?

 Chromosomes
• Each organism has a different amount of chromosomes

• A dog has 78 chromosomes in a complete set

How many pairs of chromosomes does a dog have then?

A dog has 39 pairs of chromosomes

(39) x (2) = 78 total

 Genes
• A gene is a single uninterrupted segment of DNA,
which contains the coded instructions for the
organisms
 Genes
Researchers found out by studying fruit flies that:
• Genes are located on chromosomes
• Each chromosome has numerous genes
• Genes come in pairs
• Both genes in a pair carry DNA instructions for the
same thing ex. Leg length
• Pairs of genes occupy matching locations on the two
chromosomes
• DNA code may not be exactly the same in both
locations.
 Genes
• Because the same gene on 2 pairs of chromosomes can
have different DNA and can give different results (blue
eyes or brown eyes) , the different possible forms are
called alleles.

• Allele – alternative forms of a gene at the same place on

a chromosome
• Draw this picture in your notes.
Allele
Twizzler DNA Model