Combined Science - Biology - Key Stage 4

Variation and Natural Selection -

Part 1

Mrs Gibbs
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Equipment

Pen

Paper/notepad

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What is a species?

Variation

Mutations

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What is a species?

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What is a species?

Wikimedia - Claude Valroff - Beagle Upsy Flickr - existentist - Pug Portrait

Wikimedia - Ritiks - Clown Fish in the Andaman Coral Reef Pexels - Skitterphoto - Orange and White Fish

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What is a species?

● Organisms that are similar enough to be able to breed and

produce fertile offspring are called a species

● Humans are a species

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Pause the video to complete your task

What is a species?

A species contains organisms that are similar

enough to...

Resume once you’re finished

Pause the video to complete your task

What is a species?

A species contains organisms that are similar

enough to breed and produce fertile offspring.

Resume once you’re finished

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Variation

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Variation

● Differences in the characteristics within a species is called

variation.

● Variation is caused by:

○ Genes
○ The environment
○ A combination of both

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 Genetic Environmental Both

A person’s tattoos
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 Genetic Environmental Both

The height a sunflower grows to

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 Genetic Environmental Both

The stripes on a tiger

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 Genetic Environmental Both

The mass of an elephant

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 Genetic Environmental Both

A person’s eye colour

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 Genetic Environmental Both

A person’s accent
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Practice exam-style question

Jane and Hannah are friends. Jane is taller than Hannah and has pierced ears. Hannah does not
have any piercings. Jane has brown eyes, whilst Hannah has green eyes.

Identify examples of variation between Jane and Hannah caused by genes, the environment or a
combination of both. (3)

● Variation caused by genes:

● Variation caused by the environment:
● Variation caused by a combination of genes and the environment:

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Answers

Jane and Hannah are friends. Jane is taller than Hannah and has pierced ears. Hannah does not
have any piercings. Jane has brown eyes, whilst Hannah has green eyes.

Identify examples of variation between Jane and Hannah caused by genes, the environment or a
combination of both. (3)

● Variation caused by genes: eye colour

● Variation caused by the environment: piercings
● Variation caused by a combination of genes and the environment: height

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Mutations

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Mutations

● There is usually lots of genetic variation between individuals of

a species

● Genetic variation is caused by mutations to genes

Wikimedia - Claude Valroff - Beagle Upsy Flickr - existentist - Pug Portrait

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Mutations

● A mutation is a change to the genetic code of an organism.

● Mutations happen randomly and continuously when DNA is copied.

● Most mutations have no effect on an organism’s phenotype.

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mutation
A ____________ is a change to a
gene
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Mutations happen
randomly
_____________ and continuously
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Most mutations have ___ no

effect
____________ on an organism’s
phenotype
Practice exam question

Retinitis pigmentosa is a genetic condition.

It is caused by a mutation to a gene. This mutation produces a recessive allele.

If people have retinitis pigmentosa then the cells in their retina are damaged.

Explain the meaning of these terms. (2)

Mutation: ________________________________________________________________

Gene: ______________________________________________________________
OCR- June 2018 -J247/02 Modules Paper 2- Foundation - Medium - AO1

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 Answers

Mutation: change in a gene/DNA/ deletion of a base/ addition of a base/ change in order of bases
(1)

Gene: a section/length of DNA (1)

OR

Codes for a protein (1)

OCR- June 2018 -J247/02 Modules Paper 2- Foundation - Medium - AO1

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What is a species?

Variation

Mutations

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That’s it for this lesson.

Don’t forget to do the end of lesson quiz!

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