keycap-digit-one.png

Keycap Digit One

Theme D - Continuity & Change

direct-hit.png

Direct Hit

Theme A - Unity & diversity

page-facing-up.png

Page Facing Up

Theme B - Form & Function

pill.png

Pill

Theme C - Interaction &  Interdependence

High Score Buzzwords: Heritable traits, Acquired Traits, Evolutionary Change, Gene Expression, Epigenetic Tags

A lot of people think if your mom or dad is a pro tennis player, you&#39;ll automatically be born with a super-strong arm. Guess what? That&#39;s not how evolution works!

<ul>
	<li>Why not? Because the muscles and bones they strengthened by playing tennis are acquired traits, not heritable traits.</li>
</ul>

Real-world Example: Imagine your parent is a great chef 👨&zwj;🍳. Just because they can cook doesn&#39;t mean you&#39;re born knowing how to make a souffl&eacute;!

Organisms do develop traits during their lifetime, like losing a leg or getting a suntan. However

<ul>
	<li>Random Mutations: If it&#39;s a random mutation, it&#39;s not adaptive nor heritable.</li>
	<li>Environment-Induced: Like a spider losing a leg? Not heritable.</li>
	<li>Gene &amp; Environment Interaction: E.g., a Himalayan rabbit baby gets darker fur in the cold. Still not heritable!</li>
</ul>

Real-world Example: You dye your hair purple. Your kids won&#39;t be born with purple hair, right? 💜

Let&#39;s dive deep into the Himalayan rabbit example

<ul>
	<li>What Happens?: When exposed to cold, their skin cells produce melanin, making the fur darker.</li>
	<li>Why not Heritable?: This is a change in gene expression and not a change in the base sequence of genes.</li>
</ul>

Real-world Example: Think of your genes as a playlist. The environment can change the song that&#39;s playing (gene expression), but it doesn&#39;t add or remove songs (base sequence of genes).

Sometimes, some changes in gene expression caused by the environment can be passed onto offspring. How? Through Epigenetic Tags!

<ul>
	<li>What are they?: Chemical markers that change the pattern of gene expression.</li>
	<li>Are they Heritable?: A small proportion can be passed on, but remember, it&#39;s just the pattern of gene expression, not changes in base genes.</li>
</ul>

Real-world Example: Let&#39;s say you grow up in a noisy city and develop a tolerance for noise. An epigenetic tag could make your kids slightly more tolerant to noise, but they won&#39;t be born with earplugs! 🎧

<ul>
	<li>The trait has to change the base sequence of genes.</li>
	<li>The change must occur in the sex cells so that they can be passed on to the offspring.</li>
</ul>

Real-world Example: Think of a bird species that evolves longer beaks because they help in catching food. The long-beak trait is in the genes and gets passed down, making it a perfect candidate for evolutionary change! 🐦

&nbsp;

Happy Studying! Trust me, Darwin would be proud of you for understanding this! 🎓🌍

Theme D - Continuity & Change

Unlocking Evolution The Truth About Heritable Traits

Table of content

The Tennis Player Misconception 🎾

Living Organisms Develop Traits, But... 🦋

Unlock the Full Content!

Theme D - Continuity & Change

Unlocking Evolution The Truth About Heritable Traits

Table of content

The Tennis Player Misconception 🎾

Living Organisms Develop Traits, But... 🦋

Unlock the Full Content!