Inheritance, variation and evolution

    AQA
    GCSE

    This topic explores the fundamental mechanisms of heredity, linking the molecular structure of DNA and the genome to the expression of physical traits. It examines how genetic information is transferred from parents to offspring through meiosis and sexual reproduction, utilizing probability models to predict inheritance patterns. Furthermore, it investigates how genetic variation within populations drives evolution by natural selection, resulting in the diversity of life and the development of classification systems.

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    Objectives
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    Learning Objectives

    What you need to know and understand

    • Sexual and asexual reproduction; meiosis.
    • DNA and the genome; DNA structure (biology only).
    • Genetic inheritance: Punnett squares and probability.
    • Inherited disorders and sex determination.
    • Variation and evolution by natural selection.
    • Selective breeding and genetic engineering.
    • Cloning (biology only): tissue culture and adult cell cloning.
    • Theory of evolution; speciation (biology only).
    • Understanding of genetics: Mendel's work.
    • Evidence for evolution: fossils and antibiotic resistance.
    • Extinction and classification of living organisms.

    Key Terminology

    Essential terms to know

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