KS4 Biology
Variation
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Variation & Species
L.O.:
To investigate the variation between individuals.
To understand why individuals are different.
To understand what is meant by a species
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jUHokSPkzT8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDFDxPgHmJE
1-What is meant by variation and hidden variation?
2-Define:
a)Discontinous variation b)Continuous variation c)Frequency
Chart
3- What is the difference between inherited variation and
environmental variation?
4- What are species?
5-What does it mean that an animal is: a) Infertile b)Hybrid
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Contents
Variation
What is variation?
Causes of variation
Classifying variation
Investigating variation
Variation quiz
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Variation between species
Variety is the spice of life!
Variation is the differences between different living things.
What causes the differences between species?
Species are different because their genes are different.
Genes are the biological code for different characteristics.
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Variation within species
Members of the same species also show variation.
These differences are called characteristics.
How many human characteristics can you think of that
show variation?
What causes each person’s unique characteristics?
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Contents
Variation
What is variation?
Causes of variation
Classifying variation
Investigating variation
Variation quiz
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Inherited characteristics
Why do members of the same family look similar?
Mum Dad
son daughter
Humans, like all living things, inherit characteristics from their
parents. How are characteristics passed on?
This new-born baby’s characteristics are passed in
the genes it has inherited from its parents.
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Making faces
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Causes of variation
People are different because they inherit different
characteristics from their parents.
But are your characteristics only affected
by your genes?
What else will influence the characteristics
of this baby as he grows up?
When he gets older, this baby might like
reading fiction stories or not even like reading.
Your upbringing and the environment in which you live
also affect how you turn out as an adult!
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Causes of variation
Your unique characteristics are caused by:
- the unique set of genes you have
inherited from your parents
- the environment in which you have
developed.
Differences in some characteristics are
due to a combination of both inherited
and environmental factors.
Name three examples of this type of
characteristic.
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Causes of variation
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Variation in plants
Plants inherit characteristics through their genes just
like humans and other animals.
What characteristics have these plants inherited?
Are plants also affected by their environment?
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What causes variation in plants?
Plants are affected by four key environmental factors.
Can you name them?
water
sunlight
temperature
nutrients in soil
Plants are affected by their environment in a big way.
With a little more moisture, light or warmth the size of a
plant can double. (Imagine if that happened to us!)
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What causes variation in plants?
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Contents
Variation
What is variation?
Causes of variation
Classifying variation
Investigating variation
Variation quiz
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How to classify variation
Characteristics can be classified in different ways.
How would you categorize variation in eye colour?
Could you categorize variation in height in the same way?
Variation in eye colour can be easily categorized in distinct
groups. You either have a certain eye colour or you don’t.
Height variation doesn’t fall into separate groups, as it covers
a range of values. Your height changes as you grow.
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How to classify variation
Characteristics can be classified into two types:
discontinuous variation
A feature that can be measured and given a value from
a range of values shows .
A feature that cannot be measured but is one of a few
distinct options shows discontinuous variation.
Which type of variation are eye colour and height?
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Continuous variation
What is ?
Bar chart to show the range of
This type of feature varies over masses in a rugby team
a continuous range of values. 6
number of rugby players
5
Examples of continuous variation 4
include mass, height, skin colour, 3
intelligence and leaf area. 2
1
Continuous variation is due to the
combined effects of genes 0
70
1
80 90 100 110 120 130
and the environment. mass (kg)
Does this mean the value of such a feature is fixed
or can it change?
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Discontinuous variation
What is discontinuous variation?
This type of feature can only Bar chart to show the frequency
of blood groups in a rugby team
be one of a few distinct options. 6
number of rugby players
Either you have this type of 5
characteristic or you don’t. 4
3
Examples of discontinuous
2
variation include blood group,
1
natural eye colour and inherited
0
diseases. O A B AB
blood group
Discontinuous variation is the result of genes only.
Does this mean the value of such a feature is fixed?
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Continuous or discontinuous?
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