Title: Genetics Continuous and Discontinuous Variation

Aim: To investigate Continuous and Discontinuous Variations

Apparatus/material: meter rule, pen, students, paper
Method: (1) The height of thirteen (13) students was measured and recorded.
(2) Next the frequency of the data was put into a list of height range.
(3) Then a bar chart was constructed to represent the data.
(4) All the students were then asked to roll their tongues and a count
was taken
(5) This was recorded in a table.
Results: Table 1 Showing Raw Data for Class
Tongue
Name Height Roller
Maya Horsley 172cm No
Liyana Hosein 1.64m No
Daniel George 183cm Yes
Alyssa Lockhart 173cm Yes
Seniah Walters 1.59m Yes
Israel Boodoo 185cm No
Jean-Pierre Reyes 1.85m No
Sheleza Mungal 165cm Yes
Dana Jaffar 1.68m Yes
Elishama John 165cm Yes
Jamie Mohammed 1.65m Yes
Celine Sampson 1.77m Yes
Jada Duke 176cm Yes
Table 2 Showing Height Ranges Vs Number of Students

Height Ranges Number of persons

155-159 1
160-164 1
165-169 4
170-174 2
175-179 2
180-185 3

Table 3 Showing Students Ability to Tongue Roll

Tongue Roller Non-Tongue Roller

9 4
Graph 1

Bar
10
graph showing Tongue Rolling ability in 5 Science

9
9

4
4

0
Tongue Roller Non-Tongue Roller
Graph 2

Bar graph showing Height Ranges of 5 Science

Number of persons

4.5

4
4

3.5

3
3

2.5

2 2
2

1.5

1 1
1

0.5

0
155-159 160-164 165-169 170-174 175-179 180-185
Discussion: Variation is the differences in a particular characteristic
(Phenotype) found with a member of species. Variation makes living organisms
different from each other, this also helps the organisms to adapt to their
environment and increase the chances of their survival additional to that it
contributes to the formation of new species. Variation is seen in physical
appearance, metabolism, fertility, behaviour, learning and mental ability. There
are two types of variation which are continuous and discontinuous variation.
Continuous Variation is controlled by the combined effect of many genes
(polygenic) and is significantly affected by environmental factors.
Discontinuous Continuous falls into a few distinctive categories, this is
controlled by one or few genes and it is not affected by environmental factors.
The graphs above shows various heights of variation and who are tongue rollers
and who is not. A count was made on the various heights and the students were
asked to roll their tongues and a count was taken of the students who can and
cannot roll their tongues. Genetic is what makes us human different or vary
from each other, it also helps us to survive in our environment.
Precautions: 1) Make sure the scale is on 0 at first
Limitation: 1) Gathering all the information before beginning the lab.
Sources of Errors: 1) Some students weren’t standing straight
2) Some students had high updos and high hair which
Made it difficult to get their correct height.
Reflection: I felt stressed to do this lab even though it was very simple and
straight forward due to the covid. There has just been so much going on its been
so stressful lately but other than me being stressed this lab helped to understand
the theory of continuous and discontinuous variation better while doing this lab
it helped me to observe the various heights of the students in my class as well as
who has the ability to roll their tongues. If I would change anything about this
lab that I will be to use another characteristic of continuous and discontinuous
variation because it was a very fun thing to experience.
Conclusion: Variation is the differences in a particular characteristic
(Phenotype) found with a member of species. Continuous Variation is
controlled by the combined effect of many genes (polygenic) and is
significantly affected by environmental factors. Discontinuous Continuous falls
into a few distinctive categories, this is controlled by one or few genes and it is
not affected by environmental factors. The purpose of this lab was to investigate
continuous and discontinuous variations. This was done by recording the
information from students in the 5 science class for who can and cannot roll
their tongues and their heights were also recorded. In the 5 science class most of
the students we able to roll their tongues while a few students we unable to roll
their tongues.