Title: Variation

Aim: To observe discontinuous and continuous variation amongst students in the class.

Apparatus

• Metre Chart

• 27 students

• Pen

• Ruler

• Graph paper

Method

1. All necessary materials were gathered: a metre chart, pen, ruler, and graph paper.

2. The 27 students were assembled in a spacious area.

3. The metre chart was used to measure the height of each student.

4. The height of each student was recorded using the pen and paper.

5. The process was repeated for other observable traits such as arm span or hand size.

6. The recorded data was plotted on the graph paper to visualize the variations.

Results

TABLE 1: STUDENT CHARACTERISTICS: HEIGHT AND TONGUE ROLLING ABILITY

Subject No. Name Height Tongue Rolling

1 Nathan 163 No
Subject No. Name Height Tongue Rolling

2 Noah 176 Yes

3 Avinash 159 Yes

4 Craig 171 Yes

5 Krishna 168 Yes

Darrion
6 167 Yes
Harry

Isa
7 175 Yes
Mohammed

8 Adrian 170 Yes

9 Matthias 180 No

Christian
10 180 Yes
Powder

11 Aidan 162 Yes

Subject No. Name Height Tongue Rolling

12 Saleem 197 Yes

13 Saif 173 No

Darrion
14 170 Yes
Santokie

15 Randheer 177 Yes

16 Reese 186 Yes

17 Reynaldo 166 Yes

18 Raveer 165 Yes

19 Sayyid 185 No

20 Alejandro 193 Yes

21 Adam 179 Yes

22 Isa Salamut 179 Yes

 Subject No. Name Height Tongue Rolling

23 Deepak 174 No

24 Justin 178 Yes

25 Saaid 180 No

26 Zayan 169 No

27 Isaiah 175 Yes

TABLE 2 SHOWING THE TALLY AND FREQUENCY FOR THE RANGE OF HEIGHT OF
STUDENTS.

Height Range (cm) Tally Frequency

155 - 160 | 1

160 - 165 ||| 3

165 - 170 |||| 5

170 - 175 |||| | 6

175 - 180 |||| || 7

 Height Range (cm) Tally Frequency

180 - 185 ||| 3

185 - 190 0

190 - 195 | 1

195 - 200 | 1

Discussion

Variation refers to any difference between cells, individual organisms, or groups of

organisms of any species caused either by genetic differences (genotypic variation) or by
the effect of environmental factors on the expression of the genetic potentials (phenotypic
variation).

Variations can be classified as continuous or discontinuous. Continuous variation shows

an unbroken range of phenotypes of a particular character in the population, while
discontinuous variation shows two or more separate forms of a character in the
population.

Genetic variation is the difference in DNA sequences between individuals within a

population. It occurs mainly through DNA mutation, gene flow (movement of genes from
one population to another), and sexual reproduction.

In our class, we observed both continuous and discontinuous variation. The height of the
students represented continuous variation, while the ability to roll the tongue represented
discontinuous variation.

We measured the height of each student using a metre chart and recorded the data. The
data showed a range of heights, indicating continuous variation among the students.
Overall range: 197 - 159 = 38 cm

Precautions

1. Accurate measurements were ensured by using a properly calibrated metre chart.

2. All students were measured under the same conditions to avoid discrepancies.

Sources of Error

1. Human error in measurement could have led to inaccurate data.

2. The sample size of 27 students might not have been representative of the larger
population.

Reflection

This lab deepened my understanding of biological variation and its implications.

Understanding these variations can be applied in real-world scenarios such as in medical
fields for personalized treatments, in agriculture for crop improvement, and in conservation
efforts for preserving biodiversity.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this lab effectively demonstrated the concepts of continuous and

discontinuous variation. The data collected and observations made align with the
established biological understanding of variation.