Write a paragraph or make a PowerPoint to explain how genetic variation and environmental pressures can lead to change in an organism.
Write a second paragraph that describes an example of a plant or animal that has changed due to these factors.
I can't really explain this BUT, look on about adaptation and/or evolution to their environment.
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Can you give me a better understanding on genetic variation and environmental pressures first, please?
Does this relate to the questions I asked above? I got this from a website btw.
Some characteristics are caused by the environment, some by inherited factors, while some are caused by both environment and inherited factors.
Male mammals carry XY sex chromosomes - female mammals carry XX sex chromosomes. Inherited disorders are caused by faulty genes on these chromosomes.
Different versions of a gene are called alleles, and these alleles can be dominant or recessive. Genetic diagrams can show the possible outcomes of a particular cross.
Some characteristics of an individual are caused by the environment. For example, the language we use, or whether we have scars, are environmental characteristics. Other characteristics are inherited.
Here are some inherited characteristics:
• the shape of the earlobes
• eye color
• nose shape
Some characteristics - including intelligence, body mass and height - are the result of both environmental and inherited factors. But there is debate about the relative importance of the two types of factor in some human characteristics, such as intelligence, health and sporting ability.
To explain how genetic variation and environmental pressures can lead to change in an organism, we can start by understanding that genetic variation refers to the differences in genes and traits present in a population. This variation arises from genetic mutations, recombination during sexual reproduction, and other genetic mechanisms. On the other hand, environmental pressures are external factors and conditions that influence organisms' ability to survive and reproduce. When organisms with different genetic variations are exposed to different environmental pressures, certain traits or characteristics may offer a survival advantage, increasing an organism's chances of reproductive success. Over time, these advantageous traits become more prevalent in the population, leading to changes in the overall characteristics of the organism.
Now, let's consider an example of how genetic variation and environmental pressures can lead to change in a plant or animal. One such example is the peppered moth in the United Kingdom during the Industrial Revolution. Before the industrialization, the moth population consisted of both light-colored (typica) and dark-colored (carbonaria) moths. The light-colored moths were well-camouflaged against the lichen-covered trees, while the dark-colored moths stood out and became easy prey for predators. However, as industrialization increased air pollution, the lichen decreased in industrial areas, covering the trees with soot and making them darker. This environmental change exerted a strong selection pressure on the moth population. The dark-colored moths now blended in with the darkened trees and had a survival advantage over the light-colored moths. Consequently, the population shifted towards predominantly dark-colored moths through natural selection, demonstrating how genetic variation and environmental pressures can lead to change in an organism.