Inherited Traits vs Acquired Traits

Looks at the pictures. Which of the pictures does NOT show an acquired trait?

• W

• X

• Y

• Z

An organism gets the traits that are passed on to it by its parents

• before it is born

• when it is a baby

• when it is growing up

• when it is mature

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Which of the following is NOT a characteristic that is passed from parents to offspring?

• height

• color of eyes

• sense of humor

• hair color

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

a trait that has been passed down from parents to offspring

• Trait

• Inherited Trait

• Acquired Trait

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

characteristic of an individual that can be inherited from their parents

• Trait

• Inherited Trait

• Acquired Trait

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS3-2

Naturally curly hair

• Inherited Trait

• Acquired Trait

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS4-4

a scar from a bike accident

• Inherited Trait

• Acquired Trait

having brown hair

• Inherited Trait

• Acquired Trait

There are many other things about you that don’t depend on your DNA. Examples include what language you speak, what books you like to read, how you cut your hair and if you have any scars. All these things are affected by your environment and the things you’ve learned and experienced throughout your life. This makes them acquired traits. To acquire means to get, so these are the things you’ve picked up along the way throughout your life. Since they’re not in your DNA, you won’t pass them on to your children genetically. For example, if you have a scar from falling off your scooter, your children won’t be born with that scar. Which of the following describes a person’s acquired trait(s)?

• Drea has curly hair

• Damien has red hair and blue eyes

• Cerise has long arms and small hands.

• Nicolle has strong legs from running every

  day.

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5

Many traits are not simply inherited of acquired. Things like personality, intelligence, even height, are more complicated than just DNA or only what you’ve learned. Scientists refer to the question of what determines these traits as the nature vs. nurture debate. “Nature” describes things that are in your DNA. “Nurture” describes things that you’ve learned.

Height is an example of something that isn’t as simple as what genes you have. While your DNA can determine how tall you can possibly be, environment and nutrition play a large role in determining how tall you actually grow. This makes a trait like height a combination of nature and nurture.

When scientists talk about something’s nature, they are talking about its

• nurture

• inherited traits

• acquired traits

• Combined inherited and acquired traits

Tags

NGSS.MS-LS1-5