Variation - GCSE Biology Definition

What is variation?

In GCSE biology, variation refers to the differences between living organisms.

Variation can be caused by differences in an organism's genes, as well as by factors in the environment that affect development; we therefore say that variation in phenotype is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.

Variation that is caused by genetic factors is said to be heritable. Factors in the environment may mean that some genetic variation is advantageous, and natural selection can act on this heritable variation. A population with high levels of genetic variation is more likely to be able to adapt to changes in the environment.

Different forms of variation can be measured in different ways; variation that falls into categories, e.g. fur colour, is said to be discontinuous, while variation that is measured on a numerical scale, e.g. body length, is said to be continuous.

Variation revision resources to ace your exams

You can learn more about variation in our GCSE biology revision notes:

• Variation (AQA GCSE Biology)

• Variation (Edexcel GCSE Biology)

• Variation (OCR Gateway GCSE Biology)

• Variation in Organisms (WJEC GCSE Biology)

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GCSE Biology Revision Resources