1. Genetics and Adaptations

2. Inherited vs. Acquired traits
What is an acquired trait?
A trait that an organism acquires or gains over its lifetime. It cannot be passed on to its offspring. Like the ability a monkey has to peel a banana.
What is an inherited trait?
A trait that is passed to offspring because of genetic inheritance. Could be good or bad for the organism.

3. Inherited Traits
What are some examples of traits that make an organism MORE suited to its environment?
What are some examples of traits that make an organism LESS suited to its environment?

4. Inherited or Acquired? Blue eyes Sun tan Dog’s short fur
Colorblindness
Broken arm
Ability to roll tongue
Blonde hair
Love of music
A Cold
Ability to do math well

5. LaMarck
When environments changed, organisms had to change their behavior to survive. If they began to use an organ more than they had in the past, it would increase in its lifetime. If a giraffe stretched its neck for leaves, for example, a "nervous fluid" would flow into its neck and make it longer. Its offspring would inherit the longer neck, and continued stretching would make it longer still over several generations. Meanwhile organs that organisms stopped using would shrink.
Is this true?

6. Toothpick activity
In your group of 3, time each person for 10 seconds while they pick up toothpicks one by one.
Make a chart in your notes of how many toothpicks of each color each person picked up.
Person
Brown
Red
Yellow
Leonardo
Donatello
Michaelangelo

7. Butterflies Count how many butterflies you can spot on the wall
Count how many butterflies you can spot on the floor

8. Homework
Write down 5 adaptations animals have that help them survive in their environment.
Write down 5 traits that you have inherited from your parents.

9. How are traits passed on?
Two ways to inherit traits. Most organisms reproduce with one or the other, not both.
Asexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction
Both use genetic information (DNA) to create offspring

10. Asexual reproduction
The DNA of the parent is the same as the offspring.
Any genetic mutation (whether good or bad) will be passed onto the offspring.

11. Bacteria

12. Some Plants

13. Algae

14. Marine Life

15. hydra

16. Planeria

17. Fungi

18. Sexual Reproduction
A better system for producing genetic variation and therefore “fitness” for an environment
½ of the DNA from one parent and ½ from the other parent

19. Sexual Reproduction Advantages Disadvantages
More opportunity for mutations
More DNA combinations
Disadvantages
Sometimes takes longer
Some bad genes are still possible

20. Mammals

21. Birds

22. Fish

23. REptiles

24. DNA
Double
½ genes on one side
½ genes on other side
Sex cells have ½

25. DNA activity Read pg C97-103 as a class.
Make an example of an offspring’s DNA in asexual and sexual reproduction.
Follow the example on the board.

26. Words you need to know Allele: Different forms of a gene
Homozygous: the same alleles (either both are dominant or both are recessive).
Heterozygous: different alleles
Phenotype: what an organisms LOOKS like
Genotype: what an organism’s GENES say

27. Dominant Alleles
Dominant alleles occur on sections of DNA that code for a particular trait.
If a dominant allele is present, then the organism is going to have the phenotype for that trait
Example:
If you have the gene for free ear lobes, then you will have free ear lobes.

28. Recessive Alleles
Recessive alleles occur on DNA sections where BOTH strands of the DNA must have the recessive allele in order for the recessive trait to be shown or expressed.
Example:
If you have 1 DNA strand for connected ear lobes, and 1 DNA strand for free ear lobes, then you will have free ear lobes
If you have 2 DNA strands for connected ear lobes, then you will have connected ear lobes

29. How to represent genes
In “genetic writing”, dominant traits/alleles are represented by capital letters, such as “B”
Recessive traits/alleles are represented by lower case letters, such as “b”
BB=homozygous dominant
bb=homozygous recessive
Bb=heterozygous