Adaptations/Genetics Study Guide
*Please answer all questions in complete sentences (yes, you can do this!) in
your Science Notebook!*
1. All animals have adaptations that help them survive. Explain the adaptations of an polar
bears. Polar Bears fur appears white to blend into the snow environment. Also, polar
bears have large paws, with claws for walking on the ice.
2. What is a feature? A trait? Provide a definition and example of each. A feature is a
structure, characteristic, or behavior of an organism. Eagles have wings and eyes. A trait
is a specific way a feature is expressed. Eagles have a wingspan of 6 feet.
3. What is Inheritance? Inheritance is with genes are passed down to offspring from
parents.
4. Gregor Mendel conducted experiments with pea plants to determine how parent traits
are passed down to their offspring
5. Review the walkingstick simulation. The walkingstick survival rates depended on what
factors? Walkingstick survival depends on how well their color is adapted to their
environment.
6. Explain what a variation is and why it is so important in a population. Variation is the
range of traits within a population
7. What is a chromosome? DNA? Gene? Allele? How are each of these connected? A
chromosome is a strand of dna that is inherited from our parents. DNA is
deoxyribonucleic Acid. A gene is a pair of alleles that determine our traits. An allele is a
variation of genes that determine traits in an organism. Paired alleles make up a gene
8. Where is the inherited information located in an animal cell? Do both parents supply
the same amount of chromosomes when producing offspring? Explain. Inherited
information is located on chromosomes. For humans, each parents contributes 23
chromosome that line up according to length.
9. As different Larkeys are introduced into a population, what happens to the genetic
diversity of the Larkeys? The more Larkeys there are, the greater the diversity.
10. The key to survival in a population is the variation of…? Traits so that if a trait
becomes beneficial to survival, that trait can be passed on to offspring.
11. Explain the three main factors of natural selection. What does survival of the fittest
mean? Nature produces variation, life is a challenge, and organisms in a population
compete.
12. Define and explain these words: recessive, dominant, phenotype, genotype,
homozygous, heterozygous, structural adaptation, behavioral adaptation, inheritance
Recessive alleles are less influential
13. List some examples of recessive traits in the human population.
Can’t roll your tongue
14. Do a Punnett Square for these crosses: Hh and hh, Rr and Rr, and TT and tt.
Be able to explain the percent of traits appearing in the offspring from these crosses.
15. What is selective pressure and biological evolution? How do they influence a
population of organisms?
Selective pressure is survival of the fittest and those who survive will reproduce and make
certain traits and features in a population.
16. Who was Charles Darwin? What did he contribute to science?
Charles Darwin was a scientific explorer who explored the Galapagos Islands and its plants
and animals.