Traits of Organisms
1
STANDARDS
S5L2. Students will recognize that
offspring can resemble parents in
inherited traits and learned
behaviors.
a. Compare and contrast the
characteristics of learned behaviors
and of inherited traits.
b. Discuss what a gene is and the role
genes play in the transfer of traits.
Lesson 1: Inherited Traits and Learned
Behaviors
What traits have these
parents passed on to
their daughter?
2
Take a minute
or two to
describe
yourself on a
sheet of paper.
Be prepared to
read your
description to
your neighbor.
You might say that you like to roller skate. Most of the people
in your family might have brown eyes, but probably only a few
of them like to roller skate. Your eye color came from your
parents. However, you learned to like roller skating.
Humans and other animals are a mix of characteristics from
their parents and behaviors they learned on their own.
Do you see any
resemblances between
these people?
And these?
An inherited trait is a physical characteristic that is passed from parents
to their babies, or offspring.
Traits include: eye, hair, and skin color. The traits also include curly or
straight hair, dimples and freckles, and a tendency to be short or tall.
You probably have noticed how the people in some families tend to look alike.
They might all have the same smile, for example. This is a trait that the people
share. They inherited it from their parents and grandparents.
Are your ear lobes attached to the side of your head,
or do they hang free? The shape of your ear lobes is
an inherited trait.
Other animals have inherited traits, too,
and so do plants. Two black cats are
likely to have mostly black kittens. Seeds
from a pink rose bush are likely to grow
into more pink rose bushes. The dogs in
the picture inherited their markings from
their parents.
Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Inherited Trait: dimples
Ever looked at your toes???
INHERITED TRAIT
Inherited
Traits
Hitchhiker’s
Regular
Hitchhiker’s
Thumb
Can you curl or roll
your tongue?
3
Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Inherited Traits
Attached
Left Thumbed
Right Thumbed
Are you right or left thumbed? Put your hands together,
interlocking your fingers. Which thumb is on top?
Vulcan
Earthling
Can you make a Vulcan hand sign like Mr.
Spock does on. Star Trek? Try to spread
your fingers into a “V”. Some people can do
this easily and some people can’t!
Unattached
Are your earlobes attached or unattached? A
person with attached ear lobes will have the
lowest point of the ear lobe attached to the
face. A person with unattached ear lobes will
not have the lowest point of the ear lobe
attached to the face.
Other inherited traits include:
•Freckles or no freckles
•Curly Hair or Straight Hair
•Digit hair or no hair
•Right or Left Leg Crosser
4
•Widow’s peak or no peak
The list could go on and on and on!
Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Inherited Traits
The puppies shown
inherited their
color and markings
from their parents.
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Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Inherited Behaviors
A behavior is a way of acting. Behaviors can be inherited just like traits.
Inherited behaviors are called instincts. Many animals are born with instincts
that help them survive.
These caribou of Alaska are migrating south to
warmer climates where food is more plentiful.
A hibernating chipmunk sleeping
away the snow flurries.
Geese migrating to
a warmer climate.
Hibernating bats
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Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Inherited Behaviors
Birds protect their eggs
and babies by instinct.
Frogs are not born with
this instinct. They leave
their eggs to hatch – or
7
die – on their own.
Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Learned Behaviors of Humans
Helpful
Not Helpful
Lots of learned behaviors help us. Can some
harm us?
Inherited Traits and Learned Behaviors
Learned Behaviors of Animals
Like people, animals have learned
behaviors. Raccoons learn how to
open trash cans. Birds and
squirrels learn where the best
birdfeeders are.
Review Question 1
Which of these is an inherited trait?
A. Liking the color red
B. Having long fingers
C. Wearing your hair in a ponytail
D. Liking chocolate ice cream
B
Review Question 2
Which of these is a learned behavior?
A. Having long eyelashes
B. Having curly hair
C. Heading south in the fall
D. Liking peanut butter sandwiches
D
Review Question 3
Which of these can you change?
A. Your instincts
B. Your inherited traits
C. Your learned behaviors
D. Your inherited behaviors
*Do not read too much into this…we know in today’s
world physical characteristics can be altered, but do
not take that into consideration on this test.
C
Review Question 4
A woman is an excellent cook. Why are her
children likely to become good cooks?
A. They will learn to cook by instinct.
B. They will learn to cook by watching her.
C. They will inherit her cooking skills.
D. Cooking is an inherited trait.
B
Let’s Review!
Partner Talk: What are
the differences
between learned
behaviors, inherited
traits, and inherited
instincts?
Another look at the
STANDARDS…
S5L2. Students will recognize that
offspring can resemble parents in
inherited traits and learned
behaviors.
a. Compare and contrast the
characteristics of learned behaviors
and of inherited traits.
b. Discuss what a gene is and the role
genes play in the transfer of traits.
Genes and Heredity- Lesson 2
• How do babies inherit their parents’ traits?
• Why do robin eggs hatch into robins and not eagles? Why do mother deer have fawns
and not rabbits?
• Why do daisy seeds grow into daisy plants and not rose bushes? Traits move from
parents to their offspring through genes. A gene is a tiny part of a cell that contains
traits.
Genes and Heredity
• Every living thing has genes. Genes contain
instructions that control the growth of that plant
or animal. People have 20,000 to 30,000
different kinds of genes.
• So far, scientists have figured out the purpose of
only about half of these genes. For example,
every human has several genes that control hair
color.
• However, the instructions inside those genes
are different. Some of these genes cause
people to have black hair, while other genes
cause people to have red hair. Genes also
cause many men to lose their hair as they grow
Genes and Heredity
Top 10 Worst Heredity Conditions
#10 - baldness
#9 – lactose
intolerant
#7 – twins (double diaper duty)
#8 - acne
#4 - Bullying
#6 – heart disease
#3 – color blindness
#5 - obesity
#2 – breast cancer
A gene can be inherited that increases
an individuals risk for violence
#1 - alcoholism
50% genetically determined & 50% environmentally determined
Go to Go to
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
dPk_V1KkMuU to watch genetics
video clips from Bill Nye, the
Science Guy. Be prepared to
answer questions about the
video.
Genes and Heredity
Red-tailed Hawk
Blue Heron
• Like other animals, birds have genes that control their size, shape, and color.
For example, the genes in a hawk egg contain instructions that cause the hawk
to grow a strong, hooked beak and sharp claws.
• With these, the hawk can tear apart the mice and other small animals it eats.
• The genes in a heron egg contain instructions that cause the bird to grow a
long, pointed beak that helps it catch fish.
• Genes also cause the heron to grow long legs for wading in the water where its
dinner swims.
Genes and Heredity
Plants have genes, too!!!
• Plants have genes, too. The genes in a tree control the size, shape, and color
of its leaves.
• They also control how tall the tree grows and whether or not it drops its leaves
in the fall. The genes in a daisy cause it to grow long white petals around a
yellow center.
Genes and Heredity
How Genes Work
• Genes come in pairs. You inherit half of your genes from your mother and
the other half from your father. Each cell in your body contains 23 pairs of
chromosomes. That equals 46 chromosomes in all in EACH cell in your body. In
each pair of chromosomes, one is from your mother and the other from your
father.
• In this way, you might inherit your mother’s dimples or your father’s curly hair.
However, genes can combine in different ways. That’s why you might inherit
your mom’s dimples and your sister may not.
So…how does this work? Let’s take a look at
a how Punnett squares work. Go to the link
below.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Mehz7tCxj
SE
Discuss what you
learned with a
partner.
Genes and Heredity
How Genes Work
in Plants
• Plants pass their genes along in their seeds (whereas we pass ours
along in our chromosomes). An acorn is a seed.
• The genes in that acorn control the seedling that grows from the
acorn.
• Because of those genes, the seedling grows into an oak tree, not a
redwood, a pine tree, or a daisy.
Let’s make a current, real world
connection!
Discuss this question in
your groups.
Genes and Heredity…Changing Genes
• Scientists have been experimenting with ways to remove, add, and change genes.
By changing genes, they have helped the crops grow bigger and faster.
• Scientists have also found ways to help crops resist, or stand up to, certain
diseases and insects.
• That means that farmers can use less chemicals to prevent disease or kill insects.
Genes and Heredity…Changing Genes
• An example…Scientists at the UGA have identified a certain gene in cotton plants.
This gene controls how the plants use water. The scientists combined plants that
need little water with plants that produce lots of cotton.
• The result: A cotton plant with new genes. It can produce lots of cotton even
when the weather is very dry.
• GA farmers who grow this new cotton plant can save 12 billion gallons of water a
year. That’s enough water to fill half a million swimming pools.
Genes and Heredity…Changing Genes
• Scientists from the UGA are also helping to identify the genes in corn plants. Corn actually
has more genes than humans. Scientists expect to identify 50,000 to 60,000 different genes
in corn!
• Corn is grown as food for people and animals. It is also used in thousands of other
products, from fuel to clothing.
• Corn is a major crop in the United States and throughout the world. Learning more about
the genes in corn will help scientists develop better plants. These plants will produce more
corn and grow well in poor soil or with less water.
Genes and Heredity…Feeding More People
Chinese farmer
spraying crops
African farmer examines
his corn
Asian farmer
in rice field
•
Now crops with changed genes are grown in many countries around the world. These
crops are helping farmers in Africa and Asia produce more food to feed the people in
their towns and villages. The farmers need to use fewer chemicals on the crops. This
reduces the cost of buying and spreading the chemicals. Using few chemicals also
cuts down on soil and water pollution.
•
In China, farmers usually spray chemicals on their crops by hand. Every year, 400-500
Chinese farmers used to die from spreading these chemicals. However, now many
farmers plant cotton that can resist insects. They need to spray only one-fourth of the
insect killers that they used before. As a result, many fewer farmers die of chemical
poisoning.
•
So…what’s the big idea? Discuss this in your groups.
•
Changing the genes in plants is saving lives in many ways!
Review Question 1
Where does an animal get its genes?
A. All from its mother
B. All from its father
C. Half of its genes come from its mother and
half come from its father
D. Most of its genes from its mother and some
of its genes come from its father
C
Review Question 2
Which characteristic would NOT be passed on by
a gene?
A. Pink fur
B. Webbed feet
C. Brown scales
D. Broken wing
D
Review Question 3
Why do scientists change the genes in plants so the
plants need less water?
A. So there’s more water to fill swimming pools
B. So the plants can grow well during dry spells
C. So the plants can grow in the desert
D. So farmers will not die from chemical poisoning
B
Review Question 4
Which statement is true?
A. A gene causes a trait.
B. A trait causes a gene.
C. A trait is learned.
D. Children pass traits to their parents.
A
Discuss the Essential Questions in
your groups!
Be prepared to
share! 