Genes & Traits
What do genes give instructions for?
Making proteins
What do proteins build in a living organism?
Traits
What is a mutation?
Change in the gene
How do offspring get their genes?
One copy from each parent.
Explain why siblings can look different even with the same parents.
They get different combinations of gene copies → different proteins → different traits.
How many copies of each gene does an organism have for each trait?
2- One from each parent
If two animals have the same proteins for a trait, what does that usually mean?
They'll have the same trait because they have the same proteins.
Does a mutation always change a trait?
No
Why might two parents with medium-sized bodies have a small and a large offspring?
Different gene combinations for body size.
Why does a protein’s structure matter?
Its structure determines how it connects and what function it can perform.
What causes siblings to have different traits?
Different combinations of gene copies.
What happens when a protein’s structure changes?
Its function changes.
What must happen for a mutation to exist?
There must be a change in the genes.
Why do animals with different parents often have different traits?
They inherit different gene versions-different combinations of the genes.
Describe how a mutation might affect a trait.
A mutation changes a gene → changes protein instructions → may change the trait.
If two animals have different versions of a gene, what will likely be different?
They'll have different proteins inside of cells, creating a different trait.
If an organism has two different gene versions, how many types of proteins can it make? Hint Heterozygous
2 proteins
If a protein’s shape changes, what happens to its job?
It's job changes could change the trait.
What is the diffence of a parent with homozygous gene version and a parent with heterozygous gene version.
Homozygous means their is only one protein F1F1
Heterozygous means thier is two proteins F1F2
How can two bunnies from the same litter have different ear thicknesses?
Because each bunny inherited a unique combination of gene versions for ear thickness.
What is the connection between gene versions and trait variation?
Gene versions are the code for different proteins, and different proteins produce different traits.
Why do two animals with different proteins develop different traits?
Proteins connect differently depending on their structure and what genes are telling them to do.
Why can a mutation change a trait?
Because the changed gene makes changed proteins.
If a baby looks more like one parent, what likely happened?
The baby inherited gene versions that gave instructions for that parent’s trait.
Explain how traits form, starting from parents.
Parents pass down genes → genes have versions → versions give protein instructions → proteins connect → traits appear.