Final answer:
Continuous variation refers to traits that have an unbroken range of values, such as human height, and are often polygenic. Discontinuous variation results in distinct, separately inherited traits with large differences between them.
Step-by-step explanation:
Traits which vary across an unbroken range of values are described by the term continuous variation. This is an inheritance pattern in which a characteristic shows a range of trait values with small gradations rather than large gaps. Such traits are often polygenic, meaning they are controlled by multiple genes. A classic example of continuous variation in humans is height, which does not fall into distinct categories but rather displays a smooth range of variations.
On the other hand, discontinuous variation refers to an inheritance pattern where traits are distinct and transmitted independently of one another. These traits result in a limited number of phenotypes with large differences between them, such as blood type or the flower color in Mendel's pea plant experiments.
Individuals displaying continuous variation appear to be a blend of their parents' traits. For example, offspring height is not simply the height of one parent or the other but can be any value within a range based on the contributions of height alleles from both parents.