TRAITS & INHERITANCE
What is a trait?
A: A characteristic passed from parents to offspring
What letter is usually used to represent a dominant allele?
A: A capital letter
What is a pedigree used for?
A: To track traits through generations
What is selective breeding?
A: Choosing organisms with desired traits to reproduce
What is natural selection?
A: The process where organisms with favorable traits survive and reproduce
What are different versions of a trait called?
A: Variations
If fuzzy stalks appear in all offspring from a smooth × fuzzy cross, which trait is dominant?
A: Fuzzy stalks
What shape usually represents males in a pedigree?
A: Square
What animal was selectively bred to produce many dog breeds?
A: The Eurasian wolf
What caused tree bark to darken during the Industrial Revolution?
A: Pollution
What is the observable trait of an organism called?
A: Phenotype
Which genotypes could result in a dominant phenotype?
A: Homozygous dominant or heterozygous
What does a shaded symbol usually represent?
A: An individual with the trait
Which trait is most likely chosen during selective breeding?
A: A desirable characteristic
Which moth color survived better on dark trees?
A: Dark-colored moths
What do we call the genetic makeup that determines a trait?
A: Genotype
Which genotype always shows a recessive trait?
A: Homozygous recessive
If two parents do not show a trait but their child does, what does this suggest?
A: The trait is recessive
How is selective breeding different from natural selection?
A: Humans choose traits in selective breeding
Why were light moths eaten more often in polluted forests?
A: They were more visible to predators
Why can two organisms have the same phenotype but different genotypes?
A: Because dominant alleles can mask recessive alleles
Why would crossing two fuzzy plants sometimes produce smooth offspring?
A: Because both parents may carry a recessive allele
Why can albinism appear in a child even if neither parent has albinism?
A: Both parents can be carriers of a recessive allele
Why can selective breeding reduce genetic diversity?
A: Because only certain traits are chosen repeatedly
Q: How did changes in pollution affect moth populations over time?
A: The better-camouflaged moths increased in number