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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
SL

Exam analysis

Chance of appearing1%of analysed past papers
Latest appearanceMay 2025
Most common paperPaper1B
Typical marks1–2

Common command terms

  • State

Scoring notes

Common mistake
Describing visible differences without naming a genetic or reproductive cause of variation.

Recent exam appearances

May 2025Paper1B ["SL"] · TZ12(b)[ 2 ]A3.1.1—Variation as defining feature of life
November 2021Paper2 ["SL"] · TZ03(d)[ 1 ]A3.1.1—Variation as defining feature of life
Practice this objective

Coverage 2021–2025 · Updated 15 Jul 2026

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 SL