Chapter Introduction
Lesson 1 Inheritance
and Traits
Lesson 2 Adaptations
in Species
Chapter Wrap-Up
How do inherited traits
become adaptations?
What do you think?
Before you begin, decide if you agree or
disagree with each of these statements.
As you view this presentation, see if you
change your mind about any of the
statements.
Do you agree or disagree?
1. Genes are made of chromosomes.
2. A mutation is a permanent change
in a gene.
3. The environment cannot affect an
inherited trait.
Do you agree or disagree?
4. Mutations are a source of variation.
5. All species on Earth are uniquely
adapted to their environments.
6. Plants have adaptations for movement.
Adaptations in Species
• How do mutations cause variations?
• How does natural selection lead to
adaptations in species?
• What are some ways adaptations help
species survive their own
environments?
Adaptations in Species
• variation
• camouflage
• adaptation
• mimicry
• natural selection
• selective
breeding
What is adaptation?
• Slight differences in inherited traits
among individual members of a species
are variations.
• Variations occur through mutations.
• An adaptation is an inherited trait that
helps a species survive in its environment.
What is adaptation? (cont.)
adaptation
from Latin adaptare, means
“to adjust”
What is adaptation? (cont.)
How are mutations related
to variations?
How Adaptations Occur
• Natural selection is the
process by which
organisms with
variations that help
them survive in their
environment live longer,
compete better, and
reproduce more than
those that do not have
the variation.
• An organism with a
beneficial variation lives
longer and has more
offspring.
How Adaptations Occur (cont.)
• Over many generations, more and more offspring
inherit the variation.
• Eventually, the variation becomes an adaptation.
How Adaptations Occur (cont.)
How Adaptations Occur (cont.)
How does a variation
become an adaptation?
How Adaptations Occur (cont.)
• Humans breed organisms by selecting
variations that occur naturally in
populations.
Steven P. Lynch
• The selection
and breeding
of organisms
with desired
traits is
selective
breeding.
Brussel sprouts, cabbage, broccoli, and cauliflower all
have a single ancestor in the mustard family.
Types of Adaptations
• Adaptations enable species to maintain
homeostasis, avoid predators, find and
eat food, and move.
• There are three main categories of
adaptations:
• structural
• behavioral
• functional
Types of Adaptations (cont.)
• The ability of an organism to keep its
internal conditions within certain limits is
homeostasis.
• Sweating on a hot day is an adaptation
that helps you maintain your internal
body temperature.
• All species have adaptations to help
them survive temporary changes in their
environments.
Camouflage is an adaptation that enables
a species to blend in with its environment.
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The camouflaged Stonefish is a predator, snatching up anything
that happens to swim by.
Mimicry is an adaptation in which one
species looks like another species.
Stephen P. Lynch
This orchid mimics a specific female wasp, and is pollinated by
male wasps that attempt to mate with the flower.
Types of Adaptations (cont.)
Give an example of how
adaptations help species
survive.
• Variations in populations occur
because of mutations. Variations can
lead to adaptations.
• Through natural selection, a variation
that helps organisms survive and
reproduce eventually
is inherited by the
entire population.
• Adaptations may be structural,
behavioral, or functional. Structural
adaptations help organisms blend in
with their environments.
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Which refers to the selection and
breeding of organisms with
desired traits?
A. mimicry
B. natural selection
C. selective breeding
D. variations
What process helps some
organisms survive longer in their
environment?
A. mutation
B. natural breeding
C. natural selection
D. selective breeding
What are slight differences in
inherited traits among individuals
of a species?
A. variations
B. selections
C. mimics
D. breeds
Do you agree or disagree?
4. Mutations are a source of variation.
5. All species on Earth are uniquely
adapted to their environments.
6. Plants have adaptations for movement.
Key Concept Summary
Interactive Concept Map
Chapter Review
Standardized Test Practice
Inherited mutations
can lead to variations,
which can become
adaptations through
natural selection over
many generations.
Lesson 1: Inheritance and Traits
• The passing of traits from generation to generation
is inheritance.
• Information about traits
is passed from parent
to offspring on genes.
• An organism’s
phenotype can be
influenced by environmental factors, such as
temperature, nutrients, and social interaction.
• Only traits affected by mutation can be passed to
offspring.
Lesson 2: Adaptations in Species
• Variations arise when mutations cause changes in
the sequence of an organism’s DNA.
• Natural selection explains how
variations that help organisms
survive are passed to offspring
and eventually become
adaptations.
• Adaptations help species
maintain homeostasis, protect
themselves from predators,
gather food, and move.
During which process do
chromosomes combine to form an
offspring with a full set of paired
chromosomes?
A. mutation
B. meiosis
C. inheritance
D. fertilization
Which refers to an organism’s
complete set of genes?
A. chromosome
B. genotype
C. mutation
D. phenotype
Which refers to reproduction that
produces offspring that are not
identical to the parents?
A. asexual
B. inherited
C. mutated
D. sexual
Which refers to an organism’s
ability to keep its internal
conditions within certain limits?
A. adaptation
B. camouflage
C. homeostasis
D. mimicry
Which enables species to
maintain homeostasis, avoid
predators, find food, and move?
A. selective breeding
B. phenotypes
C. mutations
D. adaptations
Which is the passing of traits
from generation to generation?
A. asexual reproduction
B. inheritance
C. mutation
D. trait
Which refers to a distinguishing
characteristic of an organism?
A. trait
B. phenotype
C. genotype
D. gene
Which is a section of DNA that has
genetic information for one trait?
A. gene
B. genotype
C. phenotype
D. variation
Which enables a species to blend
in with its environment?
A. behavioral adaptation
B. camouflage
C. natural selection
D. mimicry
With which adaptation does one
species look like another species?
A. camouflage
B. mimicry
C. natural selection
D. selective breeding