Understanding Variation in Living Things
Variation is what makes every organism slightly different from others in their species - think about how no two people look exactly the same! This variation comes from two main sources: mutations (changes in genes) and environmental factors like diet or climate.
There are two types of variation you need to know. Continuous variation has no distinct categories and can be measured, like height or weight. Discontinuous variation falls into clear categories, such as blood type or eye colour.
This variation is actually brilliant for species survival. When environments change or new diseases appear, some individuals might have just the right characteristics to survive and pass on their advantageous genes to the next generation.
Key Point: Variation + environmental pressure = evolution in action!
