AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -The common cause of variation is the change in environmental conditions. This may lead to an evolution in the organism. The organisms develop and adapt to certain new features and these features are also transferred to the next generation. This results in variation and formation of new species.

Detailed explanation-2: -Both environmental and genetic effects contribute to phenotypic variation within and among populations.

Detailed explanation-3: -Sometimes the environment changes a gene-either its DNA sequence or its activity level. Either of these effects can change the proteins that are made from a gene, which in turn affects traits. Some harmful environmental factors can change a gene’s nucleotide sequence. For example, UV radiation can break DNA strands.

Detailed explanation-4: -These forms of variation are caused by factors found in the environment. The most important of these factors include lifestyle (diet and exercise), temperature and water level. For plants, light levels could also be included.

Detailed explanation-5: -Environmental variation occurs within a species due to the different environments in which the individual members of the species are in. For example, two pea plants from the same species but grown in different conditions will look very different.