Variation And Inheritance

Question 1

What is discrete variation?

Answer 1

Variation which allows the organisms to be put in a number of distinct groups

Eye colour
Blood group

Question 2

What is continuous variation?

Answer 2

When a characteristic shows a wide range of measurements occurring between two extremes

Skin colour
Heart rate

Question 3

What is polygenic inheritance?

Answer 3

Polygenic inheritance can be seen in characteristics which are controlled by two or more genes

Question 4

Phenotype

Answer 4

Used to describe an organisms physical appearance

Question 5

What is a gene?

Answer 5

An area of DNA which controls a particular characteristic

Question 6

What is an allele?

Answer 6

Each gene has a number of different forms, the different forms of the gene are called alleles

Question 7

Dominant and recessive characteristics

Answer 7

A dominant characteristic is one which can cover the effect of another characteristic

A recessive characteristic is one whose effect has been covered by a dominant characteristic and so is not seen in the phenotype of the organism

Question 8

What is a genotype?

Answer 8

The term genotype is used to describe the alleles present in an organisms genetic information which is controlled by a particular characteristic

Question 9

Homozygous

Answer 9

An individual whose genotype for a particular characteristic contains 2 identical alleles

Question 10

Heterozygous

Answer 10

An individual whose genotype for a particular characteristic contains 2 different alleles

Question 11

What is variation?

Answer 11

The physical differences that can be seen between members of the same species