Differences add up
Each generation carries old and new differences.
Generations of a family
A baby is born with the basic body design of its family and a few small changes. Later this baby grows up and has a child of its own.
What differences will the grown-up's child have?
What this lesson covers
The idea
Inheritance gives the next generation a common basic body design with subtle changes; each new generation carries differences inherited from the previous one as well as newly created differences.
Generations of a family
A baby is born with the basic body design of its family and a few small changes. Later this baby grows up and has a child of its own.
What differences will the grown-up's child have?
- Some inherited from its parent, and some newly created
- Exactly the ones its parent had, with nothing new
- None, because it just copies the basic design
Follow the generations
Press Next step to go from one generation to the next.
Old and new differences
The orange spot appeared in one offspring and was passed down to its children. Each child also got a small new difference of its own.
Inheritance from the previous generation gives the next generation a common basic body design and subtle changes in it. When that generation reproduces, the next one has differences inherited from the first generation, as well as newly created differences.
Notes
Each generation inherits a common basic design with subtle changes, plus differences from the one before and newly created differences.
Check yourself
What does inheritance from the previous generation provide to the next generation?
In the picture, the third row shows an orange spot. Where did it come from?
The second generation has differences that are…
- A new body design that is quite different from the parent's. Offspring share the common basic body design of the previous generation. The changes in it are subtle.
- A common basic body design and subtle changes in it — correct. Yes!
- A body design copied exactly, with no changes. Inheritance provides subtle changes as well as the basic design, so offspring are similar but not identical.
- It was newly created in the third row. The parent already had the orange spot, so the third row inherited it. Their purple and green spots are the newly created ones.
- It came from the environment. In the picture, the orange spot is passed on from parent to offspring. It is an inherited difference.
- It was inherited from their parent, who had it — correct. Yes!
- inherited from the first generation, as well as newly created — correct. Yes!
- all newly created, none inherited. The second generation inherits differences from the first generation too.
- all inherited, none newly created. New differences are created in the second generation as well.