Inheritance Basics
This is the term for a feature passed from parents to offspring (example: eye color, fur pattern).
Inheritance (or heredity)
Proteins in cells help build structures and cause traits to appear. Give one example of a trait that proteins influence from the practice text.
Example answers: fur pattern, fin length, wing color, claw shape, tail length, whisker length, feather color, fur texture.
A chick has yellow feathers; mother = yellow, father = white. The chick inherited one copy from each parent, and that combination makes yellow feathers. Which simple idea does this example illustrate: inheritance, mutation, or environment?
Inheritance (or heredity)
What word describes the physical appearance or characteristic (like tail length or fur texture) that results from genes and environment?
Phenotype (acceptable: trait)
Two parents have the same trait (yellow feathers). Their chick also has yellow feathers because it inherited one copy of the gene from each parent. Name the process that explains passing genes from parents to offspring.
Heredity / Inheritance
Two tigers have the same proteins involved in fur pattern formation. What can we say about their fur patterns? Choose the best short answer: they will always be identical; they may be similar if the proteins connect the same way; they will always be different.
They might have similar fur patterns if the proteins connect the same way; not guaranteed to be identical.
A baby seal has thick fur, mother thin, and father thick. Give one genetic explanation for why the baby has thick fur (one sentence).
The baby likely inherited the allele(s) that code for thick fur (one copy from a parent or a combination that produces thick fur).
Three kittens from the same litter have soft, coarse, and in-between fur textures. List two genetic reasons why siblings can show different fur textures even with the same parents. 300 — Two crabs have different proteins for claw shape. Explain why their claw shapes will likely differ (one or two sentences).
Possibilities: different combinations of alleles received from parents; incomplete dominance or multiple alleles; polygenic inheritance; small mutations.
True or False: If two organisms have different parents, they must have different traits. Explain your answer in one sentence.
False. Different parents can have similar or different traits; siblings may share traits or differ.
Explain how different versions of a gene lead to proteins that result in different trait outcomes (one clear sentence).
Different gene versions (alleles) code for different proteins or protein shapes that work differently in cells, producing different traits.
Two snakes from different parents: one with smooth scales, one with rough scales. State the most likely reason based on genes and proteins (one sentence).
Because they inherited different alleles that code for proteins making smooth vs. rough scales.
Two crabs have different proteins for claw shape. Explain why their claw shapes will likely differ (one or two sentences).
Because the alleles make different proteins that shape claw formation; therefore claw shapes likely differ.
A trait is controlled by versions of a gene. What is the name for different versions of the same gene?
Allele
Two butterflies have the same proteins for wing color but different parents. Describe one reason their wing colors might still be the same.
Because the proteins may function the same way in both butterflies, producing the same color despite different parents.
A kitten’s mother has long whiskers, father short, kitten medium. Name and briefly describe the genetic concept that explains an intermediate trait (one or two sentences).
Incomplete dominance or additive effect — when two alleles produce an intermediate phenotype (medium whiskers).
Two frogs with medium-sized legs produce tadpoles; one grows into a frog with short legs, and another with long legs. Describe, step-by-step, how different gene combinations in the tadpoles could lead to short versus long legs (3–4 short bullet points).
Example bullets:
Parents each contribute a set of alleles to offspring.
Each tadpole gets a different mix of alleles for leg length.
Different allele combinations produce different proteins or protein activity.
Those protein differences cause cells to build legs that are short or long.
Explain, in one or two sentences, why two siblings from the same parents can look different from each other.
Because each sibling receives a different combination of alleles from their parents, creating variation.
Describe, using the idea of proteins and how they "connect" in cells, why two fish with different proteins for fin length likely have different fin lengths.
Different alleles make proteins with slightly different structures; those proteins perform cell tasks differently, making fin lengths vary.
Two lizards from different parents have long and short tails. Explain how different gene versions can create these different tail lengths, using the words "allele," "protein," and "trait" in your response.
Different alleles (versions of the beak-size gene) lead to proteins that build beaks differently, producing large vs. small beaks.
Give a clear written response (3–4 sentences) that connects: parent gene versions → protein differences → how proteins “connect” or work in cells → resulting trait differences
Parents pass down alleles (versions of genes). Different alleles code for different proteins or protein activity. Proteins work inside cells to build body parts; if proteins differ, the cells build traits (like fur, fins, or beaks) differently, so offspring show different traits.