Genetic s What is Genetics Genetics is the

Genetic s

What is Genetics? • Genetics is the study of genes and heredity (passing of traits from generation to generation). • Genes carry the information that determines which traits you will have.

Traits • All living things have traits (or characteristics) that determine what they will look like/act like. • A trait can be a physical feature, such as hair color or the size of your nose. • Traits can also be behaviors, which is how someone or something acts or responds to its environment. Traits = physical features or behaviors

Examples of Traits Physical Features Behaviors • Shape of a leaf • Color of animals fur • Hairstyle • Hair color • Size of chin • Building a nest • Growing towards the sun • Laughing • Crying • Rolling your tongue Can you think of any others to add to the chart?

How do we get our traits? • We get our traits in different ways. • Some traits are passed down from parent to offspring (children or young). These are called inherited traits. • If you received a trait because of your parents having that trait, that trait is inherited (passed down).

DNA • Inherited traits come from our genes, which are made up of DNA. • DNA is the material that carries all the information about how a living thing will look and function.

Inherited Traits • Physical features and behaviors can be inherited, or gotten from parents. We resemble (look like) our parents because of our inherited traits. A population of northern cardinals in N. C. forest These cardinals inherited both physical features and behaviors from their parents. Physical Traits: red feathers, 2 legs, etc. Behavioral Traits: singing, etc. **A population is group of one or more species of organisms of the same kind that live in the same area at the same time. **A species is a class of things of the same kind with the same name

Other Examples of Inherited Physical Traits Behaviors • Puppies inherit fur and four legs • Puppies inherit behavior of barking • You inherited the color of your eyes and hair, the shape of you nose, and having 2 arms • You inherited the ability to laugh and cry • A plant has same shaped leaves as its parent • Plants grow towards the sun All of these organisms have these traits because their parents had them.

How do we get our traits? • Not all traits are inherited. There are some things we learn or get along the way. These are acquired traits. • An acquired trait is a trait that an organism gets during its lifetime. You are not born with acquired traits. You acquire, or get them. • Both physical traits and behavioral traits can be acquired traits.

Acquired Traits Physical Traits Learned Behaviors A boy develops a scar from an injury A bird teaches its offspring to fly A plant’s leaves are spotted from disease Young chimpanzees learn to use sticks as tools for getting food A tree trunk is scarred from a lightning strike A boy learns to read A man chips his tooth You learn to ride a bike A lady gets a new hairstyle Your cousin can play the piano Organisms are not born with acquired traits. They get them over the course of their lifetime.

Heredity Review • Click the DNA below to learn more about heredity.

Discussion Question Think about your own traits. What are 3 of your inherited traits? What are three of your acquired traits?