Introduction to Heredity
and the Environment
The ANSWERS
1. E N V I R O N M E N T A L factors
often interacts with G E N E S (Fig. 1)
in the development and expression of I N H
E R I T E D traits.
2. Some common environmental factors which can influence how genes
express themselves are:
a. Amount of S U N L I G H
T
(Fig. 2)
b. T E M P E R A T U R E
(Fig. 3)
c. Amount of P R E C I P I T A
T I O N
(Fig. 4)
d. V I T A M I N S and M
I N E R A L S in your diet (Fig. 5)
e. Acidity or Alkalinity measured in
units of p H
(Fig. 6)
3. We don’t actually inherit many P H Y S I C A L
characteristics. We inherit only the genetic
possibilities for them. The environment affects
if certain genes are E X P R E S S E D and
the degree to which they are expressed..