Lesson 4: Traits & Heredity
I can…
I can…
Focus Question: How are traits passed down from one generation to the next?
Key Vocabulary:
1.
Heredity – the passing down of traits from parents to offspring.
2.
Instinct – a way of acting or behaving that an animal is born with.
3.
Gene – contains the chemical instructions for inherited traits.
4.
Dominant trait– one that dominates, or masks, another form of that trait.
5.
Recessive trait – one that is hidden, or masked, by another form of that trait.
6.
Pedigree - a chart used to trace the history of traits in a family.
7.
Carrier – any individual who has inherited the gene for a trait, but does not show that trait physically.
Traits & Heredity Guided Notes:
 Heredity is the passing down of ________________________ from parents and offspring.
 Some behaviors, such as __________________________, can be passed down.
 A learned behavior is developed over a ______________________________.
 Learning results from ________________________ and ______________________________.
 The ability to learn helps animals to __________________________.
 Gregor Mendel - ______________________________________________________________________________
 Inherited traits are passed from parents to offspring through: ____________________________

 Genes are found __________________________________________________________________________________
 Each trait that we receive has a ___________________________ and a _________________________ form.
 Mendel’s finding apply to ___________________ ___________________________