Vocabulary Unit Four: Heredity and Growth

Sara, Gabi, Mikey, Tej

Charcteristics A distinguishing feature or quality Characteristics can make you

sometimes have traits that you think you may not have

Inherited Derive (a quality, characteristic , or

predisposition) genetically from one’s parents or ancestors.

Trait A characteristic that an organism can

pass on to it’s offspring through it’s genes.

Offspring Children or young of a person, animal,

or plant.

Inborn Inherent Naturally present at birth (innate)

Instinctive behaviors behaviors animals are born knowing how

to do In other words, anything you know how to

do when you are born Examples: breathing, sleeping, crying, etc.

Learned behaviors

Actions and reactions that an animal learns itself usually from its parents

Innate Existing from birth, inborn

Dominant traits Occur when one allele masks or

suppresses the expression of its partner

Recessive trait

A trait that reappears in the second generation after disappearing in the first generation when parents with different traits are bred.

THE END