MERRYLAND INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL
DEPATMENT OF BIOLOGY
VARIATION- GRADE 7
Vocabulary
Group of similar organisms that can reproduce naturally
Species
with one another and produce fertile offspring.
The differences that occur both between different species
Variation
and within the same species
The difference in DNA sequences between individuals
Genetic variation
within a population
Difference in certain characteristics that are caused by the
Environmental variation
environment like diet, life style, climate etc.
Genes A small portion of DNA that control characteristics
The molecule that contains the genetic information
DNA responsible for the development and function of an
organism
Variation that is passed on from parents to offspring,
Inherited Variation
through genes
Phenotype The observable physical properties of an organism
Genotype It is the genetic makeup of an organism
A feature that can be measured and given a value from a
Continuous variation
range of values
A feature that cannot be measured but is one of a few
Discontinuous variation
distinct options
Species are group of individuals with similar characteristics, where they can reproduce and
create fertile offsprings.
What are the differences between these organisms?
There are lots of differences between these
organisms. For example:
some have leaves;
some lay eggs;
some give birth;
some eat plants.
These organisms are different because they
are all from different species. There are also
differences between organisms of the same
species
Variation can be defined as any differences between the individuals in a species or groups
of organisms of any species.
For example: All domestic cats belong to the same species. But there are many variations of
size, coat colour, fur length etc.
Causes of variation
1. Genetic variation or inherited variation
It is the difference in DNA among individuals or the differences between populations. Genes
are the portions of a DNA that control characteristics.
We inherit unique set of genes from our parents. For example: natural hair colour, eye colour
is inherited features.
Examples of genetic variation in humans include:
blood group
eye colour
gender
ability to roll tongue
whether ear lobes are free or fixed Free earlobe attached earlobe
2. Environmental Variation
Characteristics of all species can be affected by environmental factors such as climate, diet,
accidents, culture and lifestyle. In this instance ‘environmental’ simply means ‘outside of the
organism’ and so can include factors like climate, diet, culture, lifestyle and accidents during
lifetime
Examples include:
An accident may lead to scarring on the body
Eating too much and not leading an active lifestyle will cause weight gain
Being raised in a certain country will cause you to speak a certain language with a
certain accent
A plant in the shade of a big tree will grow taller to reach more light
3. Both genetic and environmental
Differences in some characteristics are due to a combination of both inherited (Gene) and
environmental factors. Although genes decide what characteristics we inherit, the
surrounding environment will affect how these inherited characteristics develop.
Eg: The weight of a dog is caused partly by its genes (inherited) and partly by what it
eats (environmental)
The height of a sunflower is caused partly by its genes and partly by how much light
and water it gets.
Phenotype- An individual's observable traits, such as height, eye color, behaviour,
capabilities etc. Both their genes and environmental factors determine a person’s
phenotype.
Genotype- The genetic makeup of an organism.
Types of variation
Variation can be divided into two types depending on how you are able to group the
measurements.
i) Continuous variation
ii) Discontinuous variation
Continuous variation is when there are very many small degrees of
difference for a particular characteristic between individuals and they
are arranged in order and can usually be measured on a scale.
Continuous variation is due to the combined effects of genes and the
environment.
Examples include height, mass, finger length etc. where there can be
many ‘in-between groups.
When graphs of these data are plotted, continuous variation gives smooth bell curves (a
result of all the small degrees of difference)
Height is an example of continuous variation, which gives rise to a smooth bell-shaped curve
when plotted as a graph.
Discontinuous variation is when there are distinct differences for a characteristic.
For example, people are either blood group A, B, AB or O; are either male or female; can
either roll their tongue or not - there are no ‘in-betweens'.
This type of feature can only be one of a few distinct options. Either you have this type of
characteristic or you do not. It is the result of genes only.
Examples of discontinuous variation include:
blood group
inherited diseases
Tongue rolling
Gender
Blood group is an example of discontinuous variation, which gives bar shaped graph
