SCIENCE ASSIGNMENT 1 (VARIATION & INHERITANCE)

Class 8

Q1 Offspring inherit half of their genes from each of their parents. Explain.
ans) The sperm and egg are specialised cells called gametes and are unique in
comparison to most of the other cells in the body, as they only contain half the
usual number of chromosomes. At fertilisation they come together to form the 46
chromosomes in the baby.
Q2 Explain selective breeding in different cases:
Water buffalo
ans)
Sheep
ans)
Wheat
ans)
Q3 Explain natural selection in different cases:
Mountain hare
ans) Natural selection suggests that white-fur is an advantageous trait that
improves the chance that a rabbit will survive, reproduce and pass the trait of white
fur on to future generations.
Peppered moth
ans)
Q4 Write the differences between selective breeding and natural selection.
ans) Natural selection and selective breeding can both cause changes in animals
and plants. The difference between the two is that natural selection happens
naturally, but selective breeding only occurs when humans intervene. For this
reason selective breeding is sometimes called artificial selection.