Mystery Science: Fates of Traits

Matt is a tall, eleven-year-old boy. He has a scar on his right cheek. He is intelligent and an excellent drummer. Which of his traits did he most likely inherit?

• his height

• his scar on his right cheek

• his intelligence

• his ability to play the drums

A boy's mother has blue eyes and dimples. His father has brown eyes and no dimples. How could the boy have brown eyes and dimples?

• because his traits were determined by the food he eats.

• because he inherited traits from both parents

• because he inherited traits from just one parent

• because his traits were influenced by his home environment

Tags

NGSS.HS-LS3-1

NGSS.HS-LS3-2

Why do the same kinds of trees have the same shape of leaves?

• They receive the same kinds of nutrients from the soil.

• They acquire the shape of their leaves from insects eating their leaves.

• They inherit the shape of their leaves from the parent trees.

• They grow in areas that receive the same amount of sun.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Which example is a trait that a dog does not inherit?

• fur color

• body shape

• the ability to swim

• the ability to sit on command

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-1

Amy's mother is short, with blonde hair and blue eyes. Her father is tall, with brown hair and brown eyes. Amy is medium height, with blonde hair and brown eyes. Why does Amy look different from her parents?

• Amy is a female, so she inherited more DNA from her mother. and looks more like her mother.

• Amy inherited more of her father's DNA and looks more like her father.

• Amy's appearance does not depend on the traits of her parents.

• Ariel inherited half of her DNA from each parent and has a combination of their traits.

Which is an acquired trait rather than an inherited trait?

• skin color

• eye color

• favorite color

• hair color

Characteristics passed from parents to their offspring.

• behavior

• learned trait

• inherited trait

• function

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Characteristics that are passed from parents to their offspring are called 

• behaviors

• learned traits

• inherited traits

• functions

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

earlobe attachment

• Inherited trait

• Acquired trait

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.

• He hates playing basketball so he doesn't care if his dad can play.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5