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A3.1.1—Variation as defining feature of life

Variation is the measurable difference between individuals of a species, produced by mutation, sexual recombination, polygenes, and environmental influences over development.

Syllabus
First assessment 2025
Objective
A3.1.1
Level
HL

Concept essentials

  • Variation occurs between individuals within every species.
  • Mutation can introduce new alleles into a population.
  • Meiosis and fertilisation create new combinations of existing alleles.
  • Continuous variation forms a range of intermediate values rather than separate categories.
ConceptIB Biology HL