Variation & Evolution Practice Questions

The table shows three human characteristics.

Complete the table by writing genes, environment or both for each characteristic.

Two identical twins were separated at birth and brought up in different families. By the age of 20 the twins had very different body masses.

Explain why.

What is meant by genetic engineering?

Bacterial cells have been genetically engineered to produce human insulin.

Give one advantage of producing insulin in this way.

Give one characteristic that has been given to genetically modified (GM) crops.

Describe how the owner could use cuttings to produce identical lavender plants.

A rare species of orchid grows in only one place in the UK. Scientists use tissue culture to produce new orchid plants.

Describe what is meant by tissue culture and give one reason why it is useful for this rare orchid.

The new orchid plants are clones. Give the meaning of the term clone.

Describe how the breeder could use selective breeding to produce wheat plants that all have short stems.

Selective breeding can lead to inbreeding.

Explain why inbreeding can be a problem for the wheat crop.

Calculate the percentage increase in the mean mass of wool per sheep from generation 0 to generation 4.

The farmer concluded that the mass of wool produced is an inherited characteristic.

Explain how the data in the table support this conclusion.

All of the sheep in the investigation were kept in the same conditions and were given the same diet.

Suggest why.

Describe the main steps scientists would use to produce these GM maize plants.

Some people are concerned about growing GM maize.

Give two concerns people may have.

What is a mutation?

A mutation occurs in one gene in a cell of a wild rabbit.

Describe the possible effects of this mutation on the phenotype of the rabbit.

The climate where the rabbits live becomes much colder.

A new phenotype caused by a mutation gives some rabbits a much thicker coat.

Explain how this could lead to a relatively rapid change in the rabbit species.

Waste rock from an old copper mine was dumped in a corner of a field. The waste rock contains a high concentration of copper. Copper is toxic to most plants.

A species of grass grows all over the field. For many years no plants grew on the waste rock. Grass plants now grow on the waste rock and these plants are able to tolerate high concentrations of copper.

Explain how a population of copper-tolerant grass plants has evolved on the waste rock.

Explain how, over a long period of time, the two populations of beetle could become two different species.

After many thousands of years, scientists bred beetles from population A with beetles from population B in a laboratory. Offspring were produced, but none of the offspring could reproduce.

What does this result show about populations A and B? Give a reason for your answer.

Describe the process of adult cell cloning used to produce a clone of the bull.

Explain why the calf produced is genetically identical to the bull.

The farmer plans to replace the whole herd with clones of this one bull's offspring.

Suggest one risk of doing this and explain your answer.