1. Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
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2. Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
Florida Benchmarks
SC.4.L.16.2 Explain that although characteristics of plants and animals are inherited, some characteristics can be affected by the environment.
SC.4.L.16.3 Recognize that animal behaviors may be shaped by heredity and learning.
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3. Like Mother, Like Daughter
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
Like Mother, Like Daughter
A trait is a feature of an individual, such as eye color.
The passing of traits from parents to offspring is heredity.
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4. Like Mother, Like Daughter
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
Like Mother, Like Daughter
Heredity happens in all living things.
Flowers inherit their color.
Giraffes inherit their long necks.
Birds inherit their beak shape.
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5. It’s in the Genes Genes contain chemical instructions for traits.
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
It’s in the Genes
Genes contain chemical instructions for traits.
Half of your genes came from your mother. The other half came from your father. This gives you a mixture of genes from both parents.
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6. Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
It’s in the Genes
Genes from the sperm unite with genes from the egg, giving the offspring genes from both parents.
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7. It’s in the Genes Genetic Engineering
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
It’s in the Genes
Genetic Engineering
Scientists can take the genes from one living thing and put them in another in a process called genetic engineering.
This process changes the traits of the living thing.
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8. Genes + Environment = You
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
Genes + Environment = You
The environment affects a living thing’s traits.
For example, lack of food can cause living things to be smaller.
Sunlight can change a person’s skin color and the direction a plant grows.
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9. Learning Your Lesson The ability to learn helps an animal survive.
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
Learning Your Lesson
The ability to learn helps an animal survive.
A learned behavior is something an animal learns from experience or by watching other animals.
Baby ducks learn to follow their mother for safety. Animals learn to use tools and to do tricks. Humans learn to play games, like baseball.
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10. Insight into Instincts
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
Insight into Instincts
Behaviors that an animal is born knowing are called instincts.
Instincts help an animal survive.
Instincts include birds knowing how to build nests and calves knowing how to nurse.
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11. Insight into Instincts
Unit 9 Lesson 4 What Are Heredity, Instincts, and Learned Behaviors?
Insight into Instincts
Some behaviors are a mixture of instinct and learned behaviors.
Humans have an instinct to speak, but a particular language is learned.
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