ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 1

Plants often compete with each other for light and space, and for water and nutrients from the
soil.
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
compete
supply
food
space
photosynthesis
Plants can make their own f ____________ by the process called p________________ .
They need light, s____________ and water in order to grow.
Plants c____________ to ensure they have enough water, light and a s____________ of minerals.
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The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 2

Animals often compete with each other for food, mates and territory.
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
mates
consumers
territory
food
photosynthesis
Animals are c____________________ so they depend on the p_______________ or other animals for
f________________.
They compete for food, m_________________________ and their t________________________.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 3

Animals and plants may be adapted for survival in the conditions where they normally live.
Animals and plants may be adapted for survival in arctic /dry environment
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
arctic
colour
hump
insulation
desert
sand
ears
snow
feet
fur
camouflage
heat
area
Polar bear: It lives in the a____________.
Features:
A thick layer of f____________ for i____________
White fur to match the s________________ and act as c_________________
Small e_____________ to keep the surface a_________ small.
Camel: It lives in the d: ____________ .
Features:
Large f___________ to spread the load on soft s __________ .
Fat is stored in the h____________.
Large surface area enables it to lose h______ to the surroundings.
Sandy c____________ for camouflage.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Animals and plants may be adapted for survival in arctic /dry environment
Choose the correct word from each pair in the sentences below.
Cacti: They live in (deserts / swamps).
Features:

Cactus plants have special features to reduce (photosynthesis / transpiration) to a minimum.

The leaves are reduced to (spines / cones) and they can store water.

They have a (thin / thick) waterproof cuticle to (increase / reduce) evaporation.

The green succulent stems have (few / many) stomata.

Cactus plants have (deep / shallow) roots to absorb water.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 4


Animals and plants are subjected to environmental changes.
Such changes may be caused by living or non-living factors.
Humans reduce the amount of land available for other plants and animals, eg building, quarrying,
farming and dumping waste
Waste may pollute water with sewage, fertilisers or toxic chemicals
Waste may pollute air with smoke, and gases such as sulfur dioxide, which contributes to acid rain
Loss of land:
As human population increases, less land is available to other species.
Match heads to tails.
Heads
Tails
Building
to keep up with food demands
Quarrying
landfill sites and waste sites
Agriculture
homes and factories
Treating/dumping waste
to obtain raw materials for industry
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Farming:
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
bodies
fertilisers
chains
lakes
damage
methods
destroys
polluted
expensive
slimy
wildlife
Modern farming methods can d____________ the world we live in by making it p_________ .
Removal of hedges d____________ the natural habitat of many species of w____________ .
Careless use of f____________ pollutes rivers and l___________ making them green and
s____________.
Pesticides can get into food c_________ and eventually end up in our b___________.
Modern farming methods can increase the yield.
Traditional ‘organic’ farming m____________ produce rather less food per acre and it’s more
e________________________.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 5





Radiation from the Sun is the source of energy for living organisms.
Green plants and algae absorb a small amount of the light that reaches them.
The transfer from light energy to chemical energy occurs during photosynthesis.
This energy is stored in the substances that make up the cells of the plants.
Carbon dioxide + water →sugar + oxygen
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
algae
oxygen
carbon dioxide
chemical
photosynthesis
radiation
green
light
sugars
water
G______________ plants can produce their own food by a process called p____________________ .
A_______________ can also do this.
They absorb l_______________ energy from the Sun’s r__________________________ and convert it
into c______________________ energy in the form of s__________________________ .
The raw materials they need to do this are c_________________________ and w_______________ .
Photosynthesis also produces a gas called o________________ which is released into the atmosphere.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 6




Living things remove materials from the environment for growth and other processes.
These materials are returned to the environment either in waste materials or when living things
die and decay.
Materials decay because they are broken down (digested) by microorganisms.
Microorganisms are more active and digest materials faster in warm, moist, aerobic conditions.
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
aerobic
bacteria
microorganisms
decay
returned
minerals
moist
warm
When plants are growing they remove m_______________ from the soil.
When the plant dies these materials are r______________ to the soil.
This is because m________________ such as b_______________ make the leaves d____________ .
This happens most quickly when the conditions are w___________ and m_____________ .
It also happens more quickly if there is plenty of oxygen to give a___________ conditions.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 7


The nucleus of a cell contains chromosomes.
Chromosomes carry genes that control the characteristics of the body.
The diagram shows a plant cell.
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
chromosomes
cytoplasm
characteristics
vacuole
genes
nucleus
wall
Most plant and animal cells have a n______________. The nucleus contains c___________________ .
The chromosomes carry g_____________ that control the c______________________ of the animal or
plant.
Most of the cell is made of c_________________. Plant cells often have a large space in the middle
called a v__________________________. They also have a cell w__________ which animal cells do
not.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 8



The information that results in plants and animals having similar characteristics to their parents is
carried by genes, which are passed on in the sex cells from which the offspring develop.
Sexual reproduction involves the joining of male and female sex cells.
The mixture of genetic information from two parents leading to variety in the offspring.
Genes control characteristics
True or false? Read the statements and tick  the correct column.
Statements
True
False
Genes are found in all our cells.
Genes control the way we develop.
Genes do not cause us to have features.
Identical twins contain different genes.
Genes are passed to baby animals through eggs and sperm.
A gene is a unit of inheritance controlling one particular
characteristic.
Genes for hair colour only come from your father and not your
mother.
Genes are passed onto seeds by pollen and ovules.
Most genes have more than one form.
Genetic disorders are always passed on.
Everyone has a genetic “fingerprint”, which can be used to identify
people, e.g. in crime.
Genes are passed through blood.
Sex cells contain only one type of gene.
If your mother is the only girl and has 7 brothers and your father is
one of 7 boys, you are likely to have a boy.
Genes can be affected by exposure to radiation.
Genes are passed to you from your parents.
Humans can use their knowledge to look for a cure for genetic
disease.
Tongue rolling is genetic; either you can do it or you can’t.
Genes are parts of the body which give out emotions.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 9




In asexual reproduction, only one individual is needed as a parent.
There is no mixing of genetic information and so no genetic variation in the offspring.
These genetically identical individuals are known as clones.
New plants are produced quickly and cheaply by taking cuttings from older plants.
Sexual and asexual reproduction
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
female
one
mixing
genetic
reproduction
parent
clones
identical
variety
offspring
different
There are two forms of r____________________________ .
Sexual reproduction is the joining of male and f___________________ sex cells.
The mixture of the g____________________ information from two parents leads
to v_________________________ in the offspring. It relies on the sex cells
from d _________ individuals.
Asexual reproduction involves no joining of sex cells. Only o____ individual is needed as the
p_____________________.
There is no m___________________________ of genetic information and so no variation in the
o_______________ .
These genetically i _____________________ individuals are called c_______ ..
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Read the statements below.
Write A if it refers to asexual reproduction and write S if it refers to sexual reproduction.
Statements
Asexual
reproduction
Sexual
reproduction
Only one parent is involved.
Two parents are involved.
No joining of cells is needed.
Offspring have exactly the same genes as
the parent.
Offspring do not have exactly the same
genes as the parents.
All offspring are identical.
All offspring are different.
Cuttings grow into new plants.
Male and female sex cells join.
Seeds are formed by pollination.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
New plants are being produced quickly and cheaply
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
quickly
clones
parent
grow
atmosphere
plant
asexual
Clones are genetically identical organisms. Gardeners can produce c ______________ by taking
cuttings from one plant. If these are kept in a damp a ___________________________ or in moist
compost, the cuttings eventually g _____________ roots and become a new p_______________.
This is an example of a _____________ reproduction. New plants can be produced
q________________ and safely by taking cuttings from p ___________ plants.
How to take cuttings
Put the following statements in the correct order.
Statements
Order
A. Cover the pot with a plastic bag to keep moist.
B. Dip the end of the cut stem into hormone rooting powder.
C. Take a healthy plant and cut off a small length of stem.
D. This will grow into a new plant.
E. Put the stem in the flowerpot full of damp compost.
F. This stem should have leaves on it.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX
ELC Science Worksheet
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Component 2: Inheritance, Evolution and the Environment
Learning Outcome 10

Darwin’s theory of evolution states that all species of living things have evolved from simple lifeforms that first developed more than three billion years ago.
The theory of Evolution: causes of extinction
Complete the sentences by using the words from the box below.
change
species
evidence
million
simpler
living
Evolution: It means the c____________________ and improvement in the features of
s________________.
The theory of evolution states that all species of l_____________ things have evolved from
s_______________ life forms.
The first living thing appeared about 3500 m _____________________ years ago.
Fossils give us a lot of e ___________________ for evolution.
Extinction:
conditions
environment
resources
species
extinct
food
individuals
survive
When a species no longer has any living i_____________________, it is said to be extinct.
This sometimes happens because of changes in the e _______________.
If living things can’t adapt to changes or migrate to find better c______________ they will be wiped out.
New s _________ may evolve which are better equipped to the conditions.
These take over the r_____________ (e.g. space and food) of some existing species.
If the existing ones cannot compete with the new species for the f _________________ supply, they will
not be able to s__________.
Copyright © 2011 AQA and its licensors. All rights reserved.
The Assessment and Qualifications Alliance (AQA) is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales (company
number 3644723). Registered address: AQA, Devas Street, Manchester M15 6EX