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Year 7

Heredity

I can describe what is meant by heredity and why offspring usually look similar to their parents.

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New
New
Year 7

Heredity

I can describe what is meant by heredity and why offspring usually look similar to their parents.

Download all resources
Share activities with pupils

Lesson details

Key learning points

  1. Reproduction (having offspring) is part of the life cycle of all organisms.
  2. When organisms reproduce they make offspring of the same kind (species resemblance).
  3. Heredity is the process of organisms passing on features to their offspring.
  4. Offspring inherit features from both parents, so they look similar to them and one another (family resemblance).
  5. Usually offspring vary and are not identical to their parents or one another (except for identical twins).

Common misconception

Offspring (esp. daughters) inherit all features from mum; parents can control inherited features.

Show examples of offspring inheriting features from both parents. Inherited features that are inherited in genetic material, not chosen.

Keywords

  • Reproduction - Reproduction is the process of making offspring.

  • Offspring - The offspring of a living organism are the young produced following reproduction.

  • Inherit - Offspring inherit a combination of features from both their parents.

  • Heredity - Heredity is the process of passing features from individuals to offspring, through reproduction.

  • Variation - Differences between individuals of the same species are called variation.

Avoid talking about DNA. Talk about how genetic material is passed down in reproduction from both parents and this gives the features. Environmental and lifestyle factors come later.
Teacher tip

Licence

This content is © Oak National Academy Limited (2024), licensed on Open Government Licence version 3.0 except where otherwise stated. See Oak's terms & conditions (Collection 2).

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Starter quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
Choose the name of the common process where living organisms produce young.
respiration
Correct answer: reproduction
nutrition
growth
Q2.
Reproduction produces the next generation of all living organisms. Choose the correct scientific word to describe what is produced during reproduction.
Young
Babies
Correct answer: Offspring
Children
Q3.
Choose the best statement which describes why offspring look similar to their parents.
They live in the same surroundings.
They eat the same food.
Correct answer: Features are passed to offspring from their parents in reproduction.
They are the same species so have the same features.
Q4.
This is an image of the smallest living unit in a living organism. What is it called?
An image in a quiz
molecule
tissue
organ
Correct answer: cell
Q5.
Which part of the cell stores the genetic material?
An image in a quiz
Correct answer: nucleus
cell membrane
cytoplasm
mitochondria
Q6.
The information stored in the genetic material is used to control ...
Correct answer: physical features.
language spoken.
Correct answer: processes e.g. growth.
an individual's personality.
Q5 UYSEG

Exit quiz

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6 Questions

Q1.
The process in all living organisms that produces offspring is called...
Correct Answer: reproduction, reproduce, reproducing
Q2.
When do the offspring of living organisms look similar to the adult?
When they are born.
Throughout their life.
Never.
Correct answer: At some point in their life cycle.
Q3.
Who will a human baby girl directly inherit features from?
Mum
Correct answer: Mum and Dad
Dad
Grandparents
Q4.
Choose the correct option to describe why the offspring of the same parents (siblings) look similar but not identical.
They inherit the same features from both parents.
They inherit completely different features from both parents.
Correct answer: They inherit different combinations of features from both parents.
Some only inherit features from their mother and some only from their father.
Q5.
Offspring of the same parents (siblings) different combinations of features from their parents.
Correct Answer: inherit
Q6.
The process of inheriting features from your parents is called...
Correct Answer: heredity