Inherited and Acquired Traits

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Species Noun

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[spee-sheez]

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Species

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A group of living organisms consisting of similar individuals capable of exchanging genes or interbreeding to produce fertile offspring.

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Example: This diagram shows that two distinct types of crows can interbreed and produce hybrid offspring, demonstrating how inherited traits are passed down and illustrating a key test for defining a species.

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Offspring Noun

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[awf-spring]

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Offspring

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The young born of living organisms, produced either by a single organism or by two organisms through sexual reproduction.

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Example: A parent strawberry plant creates new, genetically identical plants (offspring) through runners, demonstrating a form of asexual reproduction and inheritance.

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Behaviors Noun

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[bi-heyv-yerz]

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Behaviors

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The ways in which a living thing acts or conducts itself, especially toward others or in response to its environment.

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Example: This image explains that some behaviors, like a ground squirrel hibernating for the winter, are instincts. These are inherited traits, not learned behaviors.

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Trait Noun

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[treyt]

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Trait

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A specific, genetically determined characteristic of a living thing, such as its appearance, development, or behavior.

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Example: This diagram shows how different finches have different beak shapes. This beak shape is an inherited trait that helps them eat specific foods, like seeds or insects.

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Inherited Trait Noun

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[in-her-i-tid treyt]

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Inherited Trait

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A characteristic that a living thing receives from its parents through the passing of genes before it is born.

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Example: This pedigree chart shows how a specific trait (indicated by the red shapes) is passed down from parents to their children through multiple generations.

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Genes Noun

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[jeenz]

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Genes

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The basic physical and functional units of heredity, consisting of DNA sequences passed from parents to their offspring.

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Example: This diagram shows that genes are specific sections of DNA, which are tightly packed into chromosomes found inside the nucleus of a cell.

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Acquired Trait Noun

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[uh-kwahyuhrd treyt]

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Acquired Trait

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A non-hereditary characteristic that a living thing develops after birth as a result of environmental influences or its activities.

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Example: A person's hair is dyed blue, which is an acquired trait because it is a change made during their lifetime and is not inherited genetically.

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Learned Behavior Noun

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[lur-nd bi-heyv-yer]

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Learned Behavior

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A behavior that is not innate but develops as a direct result of an organism's experience, observation, or practice.

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Example: A dog learns to associate the sound of a bell with food, causing it to salivate (a conditioned response) even when no food is present.

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Instinct Noun

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[in-stingkt]

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Instinct

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An inherited, unlearned, and complex pattern of behavior that is characteristic of a species and helps it to survive.

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Example: A ground squirrel's hibernation is an instinct, an unlearned, inherited behavior that helps it survive the winter without being taught.

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Migrate Verb

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[mahy-greyt]

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Migrate

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To move seasonally from one region or habitat to another, often in large groups, for purposes of feeding or breeding.

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Example: A flock of birds flying together to a different location for a season is an example of migration, an instinctual behavior that is inherited.