19 - Heredity 

In this post, you can check the solutions to the exercises of Heredity of Oasis School Science Grade 10 by Jayananda Kapadi.

Group A

1.What is heredity?
Answer: Heredity is the transfer of parental characteristics to the offsprings.

2. What is meant by gene? Write down its function.
Answer: Gene is defined as the tiny unit of heredity present in the chromosome. Its function is to transmit the parental characteristics to the offsprings.

3. Where are genes located?
Answer: Genes are located in the chromosomes.

4. Who is considered as the father of genetics?
Answer: Johann Gregor Mendel is considered as the father of genetics.

5. What is dominant characteristic?
Answer: Dominant characteristic is defined as the characteristic of organisms that is prominent to appear in the offsprings.


6. What is recessive characteristic?
Answer: Recessive characteristic is defined as the characteristic of organisms that is less prominent to appear in the offsprings.

7. Define phenotype.
Answer: Phenotype is defined as the external appearance and characteristic of an organism.

8. Define genotype.
Answer: Genotype is defined as the genetic makeup of a living organism.

9. What is monohybrid cross? Give one example.
Answer: Out of many contrasting characteristics, cross made between two organisms for one pair of contrasting characteristic only is called monohybrid cross. For example: crossing of a tall pea plant with a dwarf one.

10. What is dihybrid cross? Give one example.
Answer: Out of many contrasting characteristics, cross made between two organisms for two pairs of contrasting characteristics is called dihybrid cross. For example: crossing between green round pea plant with yellow wrinkled one.

11. What is a hybrid?
Answer: An organism whose gene contains two different alleles, i.e. one dominant and another recessive, is called as a hybrid.


12. Write any two recessive characteristics seen in human beings.
Answer: Any two recessive characteristics seen in human beings are:
  • Hitcher's thumb
  • Six fingers in one hand
13. What is variation?
Answer: Variation is slight changes in the appearance of an organism that distinguishes each member in a species.

14. Name the types of variation.
Answer: Following are the types of variation:
  • Continuous variation
  • Discontinuous variation
15. What is environmental variation?
Answer: The variation brought about by the environmental factors such as heat, light, temperature, etc. is called environmental variation.

16. What is genetic variation?
Answer: Genetic variation is the difference in DNA among individuals or the differences between populations. [Source: Wikipedia]

17. What is mutation?
Answer: The sudden heritable changes in the genes of an organism is called mutation.

18. What are the causative factors for mutation?
Answer: Following are some of the causative factors for mutation:
  • Ultra-violet rays
  • X-rays
  • Gamma rays
  • Chemicals
19. Define continuous variation.
Answer: Natural variation that occurs in each individual organism is defined as continuous variation.


Group B


About this book:

Oasis School Science Grade 10
Author: Jayananda Kapadi
Editor: Dr. Rameshwar Adhikari

About Oasis Publication:

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