Environmental Effect on Phenotype

My AP Biology Thoughts

My AP Biology Thoughts

Unit 5 Heredity

Welcome to My AP Biology Thoughts podcast, my name is Nikki Evich and I am your host for episode #103 called Unit 5 Heredity Environmental Effect on Phenotype. Today we will be discussing how the environment can alter phenotypes.

Segment 1: Introduction to Environmental Effect on Phenotype

• Phenotype is determined by genotype
• Genotype and environment work together to determine phenotype
• temperature, oxygen levels, humidity, light cycles, and the presence of mutagens can all impact which of an animal's genes are expressed, which ultimately affects the animal's phenotype
• These can turn on and off genes

Segment 2: More About Environmental Effect on Phenotype

• Fur color
• These rabbits and cats have a mutant allele for the coat color gene that is white
• The enzyme encoded by the gene is inactive at temperatures above about 35 degrees
• The extremities are cooler than the main body (around 25 degrees), so the fur on these regions is dark.

Segment 3: Connection to the Course

• Environmental pressures drive diversity in ecosystems
• Phenotypic diversity is caused by not only genetics, but the environment as well
• A higher diversity in ecosystems allows populations to be better suited for sudden changes to their ecosystem

Thank you for listening to this episode of My AP Biology Thoughts. For more student-ran podcasts and digital content, make sure that you visit www.hvspn.com. Bye now!

Music Credits:

• "Ice Flow" Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
• Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 4.0 License
• http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

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