Bell-Ringers: Inheritance and Variation of Traits

Each presentation contains multiple bell ringers. Use the arrows to navigate through them.

There are several presentations available—scroll down the page to view them all.

Observe and Wonder

Use the arrows to navigate through all the bell ringer questions. Share an individual bell ringer using the embed code or link.

How Mutations Affect Traits

Use the arrows located at the bottom of the presentation to navigate through all the bell ringer questions.

  1. Misconception: All genes determine visible traits
    Some genes affect things we can see like hair color, but many genes control things we can’t see easily, like how fast your body breaks down food.
  2. Misconception: Dominant genes are the most common
    Just because a gene is dominant doesn’t mean it shows up more often in a population. Some dominant traits are actually rare.
  3. Misconception: If parents don’t have a trait, their children can’t have it
    Parents can carry a hidden (recessive) gene and still pass it on to their children, even if they don’t show the trait themselves.
  4. Misconception: Mutations are always bad
    Mutations can be harmful, but they can also be helpful or make no difference at all.
  5. Misconception: Every mutation causes a noticeable change
    Some mutations don’t change how the body works at all. They may happen in places that don’t affect important proteins.
  6. Misconception: One gene controls one trait on its own
    Many traits are controlled by more than one gene working together. For example, your height is influenced by several genes.
  7. Misconception: Each cell has different DNA
    Almost every cell in your body has the exact same DNA, even though different cells use different parts of that DNA.
  8. Misconception: Helpful traits always become common
    Even if a trait is helpful, it doesn’t always spread to everyone. Chance, environment, and other factors affect which traits are passed on.
  9. Misconception: Mutations only happen from outside damage
    Mutations can be caused by things like radiation, but they also happen naturally when cells copy DNA.
  10. Misconception: One gene makes one protein
    One gene can be used in different ways to make different proteins depending on how the cell reads it.

How Reproductions Affects Genetic Variation

Use the arrows located at the bottom of the presentation to navigate through all the bell ringer questions.

  1. Misconception: All traits are inherited directly from parents
    Some traits come straight from parents, but others result from a mix of genetics and environmental influences like diet or exercise.
  2. Misconception: Every trait is a perfect 50-50 blend from both parents
    Traits don’t always show up as a perfect mix. Dominant and recessive alleles can make one parent’s trait more visible.
  3. Misconception: Siblings from the same parents are genetically identical
    Unless they are identical twins, siblings have different combinations of genes because of the random way genes are passed down.
  4. Misconception: Genes only affect appearance
    Genes don’t just determine how you look. They can also affect your health, behavior, and how your body functions.
  5. Misconception: Dominant traits are always more common
    Just because a trait is dominant doesn’t mean it’s widespread. For example, having six fingers is a dominant trait, but it’s very rare.
  6. Misconception: If parents don’t show a trait, their kids can’t either
    Some traits are recessive and can skip generations. Two parents who carry the gene might have a child who shows the trait.
  7. Misconception: Random means any genes are possible
    “Random” refers to how gene copies are shuffled and sorted during reproduction. Offspring only inherit combinations of genes from their parents, not just anything.
  8. Misconception: Two alleles mean two different genes
    Each person gets one version (allele) of a gene from each parent. These alleles are different versions of the same gene, not entirely separate genes.
  9. Misconception: All genetic differences are visible
    Not all gene changes show up as physical traits. Some are silent or only affect things inside the body, like how a cell works.