The terms ‘discontinuous variation’ and ‘continuous variation’ are used in the description of the phenotypes of organisms - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 2 - 2012 - Paper 1
Question 2
The terms ‘discontinuous variation’ and ‘continuous variation’ are used in the description of the phenotypes of organisms.
Compare discontinuous and continuous vari... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:The terms ‘discontinuous variation’ and ‘continuous variation’ are used in the description of the phenotypes of organisms - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 2 - 2012 - Paper 1
Step 1
number of genes and/or alleles involved
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Answer
Discontinuous variation is associated with a small number of genes and/or alleles involved. In contrast, continuous variation involves many genes, contributing to a wide range of phenotypic expressions.
Step 2
impact on phenotypes
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Answer
The impact of discontinuous variation on phenotypes is characterized by few discrete categories, such as in traits like blood type or flower color. On the other hand, continuous variation results in many phenotypes that can be measured on a spectrum, such as height or skin color.
