GENETICS: INHERITED

TRAITS & BEHAVIORS

5.L.3.1 Explain why organisms differ from or are
similar to their parents based on the characteristics of
the organism.
5.L.3.2 Give examples of likenesses that are inherited
and some that are not.

VOCABULARY
Acquired trait- a characteristic that a living thing gets during its lifetime
Behavior-a way in which a living thing acts or responds to its surroundings
Inherited behavior- Instinctual behaviors
Inherited trait- a characteristic that a living thing gets from its parents
Population-a group of organisms of the same kind that live in the same area at the
same time
Trait-a quality or characteristic of a living thing
Genetics- The study of heredity and the variation of inherited characteristics
DNA-

GENETICS AND DNA

All living organisms contain the genetic material that makes up DNA
molecules
This genetic material is passed down from parents to their offspring
creating a living organisms DNA

TRAITS VS BEHAVIORS
A trait is a quality or characteristic of a living thing
A behavior is the way in which a living organism responds to its
surroundings

ACQUIRED TRAIT
This is a characteristic that is required during someones lifetime
An acquired trait is not something you are born with
A scar would be an example of an acquired trait
Many acquired traits are learned behaviors
A learned behavior is a skill a living organism develops after its born
Acquired traits are not characteristics passed down from parents to
offspring
Examples- children learning to read, a bird learning to fly

INHERITED TRAIT
An inherited trait is a characteristic that a living organism gets from its
parents- These traits come from your genetic makeup or DNA
Both physical features and behaviors can be inherited traits
Most plants and animals get their traits from their parents- half of their
traits from their mother and half from their father
Plants inherit ways of responding to their environment- roots grow down
to reach water and stems and leafs reach up to the sunlight

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE

YOURSELF?
You might say you have brown eyes and like to play outside
Lets make a list of words that describe yourself
Now look at your list
How many of your descriptions could also describe someone else in your
family?
Which traits were these?
Eye color, hair color, height
Learned behaviors would be liking to play outside

HUMANS AND OTHER ANIMALS ARE A MIX OF

CHARACTERISTICS FORM THEIR PARENTS AND
BEHAVIORS THEY LEARNED ON THEIR OWN
A physical characteristic that is passed from a parent to their offspring is
an inherited trait
Examples of inherited traits
Eye color, skin color, hair color, curly or straight hair, dimples, freckles, height

ARE YOUR EAR LOBES ATTACHED TO THE SIDE

OF YOUR HEAD OR DO THEY HANG FREE?
The shape of your ear lobe is an inherited trait

INHERITED BEHAVIORS
A behavior is a way of acting- Behaviors can be inherited too
Inherited behaviors are called instincts- Many animals are born with these
to help them survive- Can you think of any?
Examples When the weather turns cold animals prepare for the winter by instinctSome head for warmer climates others hibernate
Birds protect their eggs by instinct

QUIZ TIME!
Which of these is an inherited trait?

A- Liking the color red

B- Having long fingers
C- Wearing your hair in a ponytail
D-Liking chocolate ice cream

QUIZ TIME!
Which of these is a learned behavior?

A- Having long eyelashes

B-Having curly hair
C- Heading south in the fall
D- Liking Peanut butter sandwiches

QUIZ TIME!
Which of these can you change?

A-Your instincts
B- Your inherited traits
C- Your learned behaviors
D- Your inherited behaviors

QUIZ TIME1
A woman is an excellent cook. Why are her children likely to become good
cooks?

A- They will learn to cook by instinct

B- They will learn to cook by watching
C- They will inherit her cooking skills
D- Cooking is an inherited trait

STRAWBERRY DNA EXTRACTION

EXPERIMENT
Purpose: Today, students will extract strawberry DNA after discussing how
DNA impacts characteristics of organisms
Materials:
1 quart resealable plastic bag
Strawberries fresh or frozen (frozen will be easier to crush)
2 teaspoons dish detergent
1 teaspoon table salt
cup water
2 plastic cups (one cup will be used as a filtering device)
Filtering apparatus: coffee filter and plastic cup
ICE cold 90% rubbing alcohol
1 wooden popsicle(craft) stick

PROCEDURES
1. Put the thawed strawberries into
the plastic bag and smash gently for
about 2 minutes. Completely crush
the strawberries, this allows the cells
to break open and release the DNA.
2. In a plastic cup, make the DNA
extraction liquid: mix together 2
teaspoons of detergent, 1 teaspoon
salt, and cup of water.
3. Add 2 teaspoons of the DNA
extraction liquid into the bag with the
apples. This will continue to break
down the cells.
4. Reseal the bag and continue to
gently smash for another minute
(avoid making too many soap
bubbles).
5. Place the coffee filter inside the
other plastic cup.

6. Open the bag and pour the strawberry mixture into the filter. Gently
twist and squeeze the filter to extract as much liquid as possible without
tearing the filter.

7. Next add an equal amount of ICE cold rubbing alcohol. Pour the
alcohol slowly down the side of the cup with the strawberry liquid. Do not
mix or stir the solution.

8. Within a few seconds a white cloudy substance (DNA) will develop at

the top layer of the strawberry solution.

9. Tilt the cup and pick up the DNA using the craft stick.

10. The DNA may be stored in another Ziploc bag with more rubbing
alcohol.

ASSESSMENT
Students will successfully extract DNA from a strawberry and be
able to explain the purpose of DNA and its impact on organisms
characteristics.

CONCLUSION
We saw what DNA looks like when its compact
We learned how to extract the DNA out of a living thing
The strawberries DNA is extracted from the strawberries after soaking
and filtering the strawberries through rubbing alcohol, dish detergent,
and salt
We were able to observe the DNA without using microscopes
We can see that fruits can be manipulated in their cell structure
Learning what makes up a strawberry or other living organisms DNA can
help us make things better and more advanced for the future
Other fruits can be used with this technique as well.