Environmental factors play a big role in how traits are passed down and how species change over time. This is all part of a process called natural selection.
1. Mendelian Inheritance
This idea comes from a scientist named Gregor Mendel. He discovered that traits are passed down through specific units called alleles. In a group of living things, the types and amounts of alleles can change because of things happening in the environment.
2. Phenotypic Plasticity
Things like temperature, light, and food can change an organism's appearance without changing its genes. For example, some plants can grow taller or shorter depending on how much light they get, even if their genes are the same.
3. Natural Selection
The traits that help living things survive and have babies tend to become more common over time. There was a study about the peppered moth, which showed that more dark-colored moths appeared because of pollution during the Industrial Revolution. This shows how the environment can change which alleles are more popular.
4. Quantitative Traits
Some traits, like how tall someone is or how much food a crop produces, are influenced by many different genes and environmental factors. The way these traits are passed down can show the mix of genetics and environmental impact. For example, studies show that human height is about 60% to 80% due to genetics.
In short, the environment and the way traits are inherited work together to help species evolve. This affects how diverse and adaptable populations can be.
Environmental factors play a big role in how traits are passed down and how species change over time. This is all part of a process called natural selection.
1. Mendelian Inheritance
This idea comes from a scientist named Gregor Mendel. He discovered that traits are passed down through specific units called alleles. In a group of living things, the types and amounts of alleles can change because of things happening in the environment.
2. Phenotypic Plasticity
Things like temperature, light, and food can change an organism's appearance without changing its genes. For example, some plants can grow taller or shorter depending on how much light they get, even if their genes are the same.
3. Natural Selection
The traits that help living things survive and have babies tend to become more common over time. There was a study about the peppered moth, which showed that more dark-colored moths appeared because of pollution during the Industrial Revolution. This shows how the environment can change which alleles are more popular.
4. Quantitative Traits
Some traits, like how tall someone is or how much food a crop produces, are influenced by many different genes and environmental factors. The way these traits are passed down can show the mix of genetics and environmental impact. For example, studies show that human height is about 60% to 80% due to genetics.
In short, the environment and the way traits are inherited work together to help species evolve. This affects how diverse and adaptable populations can be.