Environmental variation refers to differences in characteristics among individuals within a species that are caused by external factors, not by inherited genes. For example, two plants of the same species might grow to different heights if one gets more sunlight or water than the other. These changes are not passed down to offspring because they are not caused by changes in DNA. Environmental variation is important because it helps us understand how living things can adapt to their surroundings and survive in different conditions. In GCSE Biology, studying environmental variation helps students learn about how both genes and environment shape living organisms.
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