Question

What are the causes of variations?

Answer 1

Variations: The variations are the differences in the characteristics or the traits of individuals of the same species.

Causes of variations:

• Sexual reproduction: Meiosis produces gametes in sexual reproduction. During meiosis, the reshuffling of genes occurs and brings variations. These variations are passed from parents to the offspring and are thus heritable.
• Errors during the copying of the DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid): This is another cause of the variations in the sexually reproducing organisms. The asexually reproducing organisms can also have variations present due to this cause. These variations are also heritable.
• Environmental factors: Environmental factors like climate, lifestyle, accidents, and diet can also bring variations. For example, overeating makes a person fat. These variations are non-heritable and temporary.