key concepts
_____are instructions for proteins
What is genes?
an instruction for making a protein molecule
What is gene?
There are two tree frogs that have different proteins in their cells for tongue length. They have different parents. What can you say about the frogs' tongue lengths?
What is they will have different tongue lengths since their proteins for tongue length are different so the proteins will connect in different ways.
An organism has two copies of each gene for each ____
What is feature?
a random change to a gene that can sometimes result in a new trait
What is mutation?
Two cats have different parents. One cat has stiff fur, and the other cat has soft fur. Why do the cats have different fur softnesses?
What is the cats have different versions of the gene for fur softness, which instruct for different proteins that connect in different ways to make different kinds of fur.
Differences in the _____ of protein molecules affect how they connect to other protein molecules. This can result in different ____.
What is structure and traits?
an organism produced as a result of reproduction
What is offspring?
Two mice have different parents. They both have the same proteins for whisker thickness in their cells. What can you say about the mice's whisker thicknesses?
What is they will have the same whisker thicknesses since their proteins for whisker thickness are the same so the proteins will connect in the same way.
The two copies of a gene for each feature can be different versions (___________) and provide instructions for only one type of protein.
What is heterozygous?
What is ribosomes?
A dragonfly has blue wings. Its mother has blue wings, but its father has colorless wings. Which of these statements explains why the dragonfly has blue wings?
What is the dragonfly inherited one copy of the gene for wing color from its mother and one copy from its father. That gene combination instructs for proteins that connect in ways that make its wings blue.
The structure of molecules determines how they ______ at a molecular scale, which determines the properties of the object they make up.
What is function?
a long piece of DNA that contain many genes
What is chromosomes?
Two rhinoceros beetles have different parents. They have differently shaped horns. Why do the beetles have differently shaped horns?
What is the beetles have different versions of the gene for horn shape, which instruct for different proteins that connect in different ways to make their horn shapes different.