Heredity/Genetics

Which is true about parents and their offspring? 

• Characteristics are passed from parents to offspring, resulting in the offspring being identical to the parents. 
• Characteristics are passed from parents to offspring, resulting in parents teaching offspring how to look and act. 
• Most characteristics are chosen by the offspring and not passed from parent to offspring. 
• Some characteristics are learned and not passed from parent to offspring. 

Which is a characteristic a child will inherit from its parents? 

• favorite music
• ability to read
• natural hair color
• ability to ride a bicyclec

A deer inherits some of its features from its parents. Other features come from its environment. Which feature would a deer most likely inherit from its parents? 

• a long scar
• brown eyes
• missing teeth
• a broken antler

Everyone in Jamilla’s family has a height greater than 5 feet 8 inches. Which height characteristic will Jamilla most likely inherit? 

• to be exactly 5 feet tall
• to be exactly 5 feet 8 inches tall
• to be taller than 5 feet 8 inches tall
• to be shorter than 5 feet 8 inches tall

Which best explains why a child may look like his father but is not able to play basketball as well as him? 

• Physical characteristics are inherited, but the ability to shoot a basketball is not. 
• The ability to shoot a basketball is inherited, but physical characteristics are not. 
• The child chooses to look like his father, but he does not choose to play basketball. 

Which best explains why the offspring of giraffes generally look similar to their parents? 

• Giraffe parents teach their offspring to look like them. 
• Giraffe parents pass on characteristics to their offspring. 
• Offspring mimic their parents’ appearances and actions. 
• All giraffes look the same. 

Timothy is a fifth grade boy with brown hair. Neither of Timothy’s parents has brown hair. Which is the most likely reason Timothy has brown hair? 

• Brown is Timothy’s favorite color. 
• One of Timothy’s grandparents has brown hair.
  
• Timothy’s mother wanted him to have brown hair.
  
• Most of the boys in Timothy’s class have brown hair. 

Which human trait is most likely inherited from a parent? 

• learning to ride a bike
• holding a spoon
• reading a book
• height

Bob is a tall, slender young man with red hair and blue eyes. Which couple would most likely be Bob’s parents? 

• a slender, red-haired father and a tall, blue-eyed mother 
• a tall green-eyed father with long brown hair and a short, brown- haired mother 
• a short, green-eyed, black-haired father and a tall, brown haired, brown-eyed mother 
• a short, plump brown-haired father with freckles and a short, blue- eyed red-haired mother 

Which is characteristic of heredity? 

• behaviors taught to parents by offspring 
• behaviors taught to offspring by parents
  
• passing of physical characteristics from parents to offspring 
• passing of physical characteristics from offspring to parents