Genetics (Unit 5)
STANDARD IV: Students will understand that offspring inherit traits that make them more or less suitable to survive in the environment. Objective 1: Compare how sexual and asexual reproduction passes genetic information from parent to offspring.
a. Distinguish between inherited and acquired traits.
b. Contrast the exchange of genetic information in sexual and asexual reproduction (e.g., number of parents, variation of genetic material).
c. Cite examples of organisms that reproduce sexually (e.g., rats, mosquitoes, salmon, sunflowers) and those that reproduce asexually (e.g., hydra, planaria, bacteria, fungi, cuttings from house plants).
d. Compare inherited structural traits of offspring and their parents.
Objective 2: Relate the adaptability of organisms in an environment to their inherited traits and structures.
a. Predict why certain traits (e.g., structure of teeth, body structure, coloration) are more likely to offer an advantage for survival of an organism.
b. Cite examples of traits that provide an advantage for survival in one environment but not other environments.
c. Cite examples of changes in genetic traits due to natural and manmade influences (e.g., mimicry in insects, plant hybridization to develop a specific trait, breeding of dairy cows to produce more milk).
d. Relate the structure of organs to an organism’s ability to survive in a specific environment (e.g., hollow bird bones allow them to fly in air, hollow structure of hair insulates animals from hot or cold, dense root structure allows plants to grow in compact soil, fish fins aid fish in moving in water).
STANDARD IV: Students will understand that offspring inherit traits that make them more or less suitable to survive in the environment. Objective 1: Compare how sexual and asexual reproduction passes genetic information from parent to offspring.
a. Distinguish between inherited and acquired traits.
b. Contrast the exchange of genetic information in sexual and asexual reproduction (e.g., number of parents, variation of genetic material).
c. Cite examples of organisms that reproduce sexually (e.g., rats, mosquitoes, salmon, sunflowers) and those that reproduce asexually (e.g., hydra, planaria, bacteria, fungi, cuttings from house plants).
d. Compare inherited structural traits of offspring and their parents.
Objective 2: Relate the adaptability of organisms in an environment to their inherited traits and structures.
a. Predict why certain traits (e.g., structure of teeth, body structure, coloration) are more likely to offer an advantage for survival of an organism.
b. Cite examples of traits that provide an advantage for survival in one environment but not other environments.
c. Cite examples of changes in genetic traits due to natural and manmade influences (e.g., mimicry in insects, plant hybridization to develop a specific trait, breeding of dairy cows to produce more milk).
d. Relate the structure of organs to an organism’s ability to survive in a specific environment (e.g., hollow bird bones allow them to fly in air, hollow structure of hair insulates animals from hot or cold, dense root structure allows plants to grow in compact soil, fish fins aid fish in moving in water).