Understanding Traits and Genetics

The study of how traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes is called:

• Offspring

• Genetics

• Instincts

• Parent

Traits that are passed down from parents to their offspring, like eye color or hair color, are called:

• Acquired traits

• Inherited traits

• Learned behavior

• Generations

A living thing that gives birth to or produces offspring is known as a:

• Parent

• Offspring

• Genetics

• Instincts

Groups of living things in a family born at different times, such as grandparents, parents, and children, are called:

• Offspring

• Generations

• Acquired traits

• Learned behavior

Behaviors that animals are born knowing how to do, like birds building nests, are called:

• Learned behavior

• Instincts

• Acquired traits

• Genetics

Which of the following is an example of an acquired trait?

• Having brown eyes

• Learning to ride a bike

• Being born with curly hair

• Crying when hungry as a baby

If a dog teaches its puppy how to fetch a ball, what type of behavior is the puppy learning?

• Instinct

• Inherited trait

• Learned behavior

• Genetics

Which of the following best describes the relationship between parents and offspring?

• Parents are always older than offspring, but not related

• Offspring are the children or young produced by parents

• Offspring teach parents new behaviors

• Parents and offspring are always the same age

A scientist is studying why some plants have red flowers and others have yellow flowers. Which field is the scientist working in?

• Generations

• Learned behavior

• Genetics

• Instincts

A student notices that she has the same eye color as her mother but learned to play the piano from her teacher. Explain which trait is inherited and which is acquired, using evidence from the definitions.

• Eye color is acquired; playing piano is inherited

• Both traits are inherited

• Eye color is inherited; playing piano is acquired

• Both traits are acquired