Name: ________________________________ Date: _______________ Period: ______
Biological Diversity and Heredity Mr. Vorstadt
Part 1: OBJECTIVES: Students will determine their traits. Students will compare their combination of traits with other students in the class. Students will organize data visually.
Students will determine the most and least common combination of traits in the classroom population.
Background Information
Physical traits are observable characteristics. While each of us shares some of our traits with many other people, our own individual combination of traits is what makes each of us look unique. Some combinations of traits are more common than others.
Physical traits are determined by specific segments of DNA called genes. Multiple genes are grouped together to form chromosomes, which reside in the nucleus of the cell. Every cell
(except eggs and sperm) in an individual’s body contains two copies of each gene. This is due to the fact that both mother and father contribute a copy at the time of conception. This original genetic material is copied each time a cell divides so that all cells contain the same DNA. Genes store the information needed for the cell to assemble proteins, which eventually yield specific physical traits.
Most genes have two or more variations, called alleles. For example, the gene for hairline shape has two alleles – widow’s peak or straight. An individual may inherit two identical or two different alleles from their parents. When two different alleles are present they interact in specific ways. For the traits included in this activity, the alleles interact in what is called a dominant or a recessive manner. The traits due to dominant alleles are always observed, even when a recessive allele is present. Traits due to recessive alleles are only observed when two recessive alleles are present.
• Two widow’s peak alleles (both dominant), their hairline will have a peak
• One widow’s peak allele (dominant) and one straight hairline allele (recessive), they
will have a widow’s peak
• Two straight hairline alleles (recessive), their hairline will be straight.
Questions: Answer in complete sentences.
*How are physical traits determined? _______________________________________________
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*List three of your physical traits. __________________________________________________
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*Explain the relationship of DNA to genes and genes to chromosomes. ____________________
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ACTIVITY 1
Materials: crayons or colored pencils, gene wheels, your peers, your powers of observation, and your knowledge of science.
Procedure:
1) Start in the center of the circle. Choose and completely color in the trait or
characteristic that pertains to you. Use a different color for each characteristic or
trait in each layer as you move from the interior to the exterior of the circle.
2) List your traits or characteristics. Begin with the center of the circle and work to the outside. a) _________________________________ d) _________________________________ e) _________________________________ b) _________________________________ c) _________________________________

3) Choose 5 peers at your desk configuration. Repeat steps one and two. Label each gene wheel
with the name of the peer to which it belongs.

4) List the traits or characteristics of six peers. Begin with the center of the circle and work to
the outside. Use tally marks beside each category if you have duplications.
Toe long Double Jointed Tongue Roll Name
HHHHHHHHH
Ear lobe
Attached
YES NO YES NO YES NO YES NO
5) Create a bar graph to illustrate the results of your comparisons with six peers.
Give it a title. Label the vertical and horizontal axes. Use a ruler and colored pencils.
6) What were the most common traits among you and your peers? What were the least common
traits among you and your peers?
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