11.1 - Genetic diversity

Question 1

What is the difference within twins or organisms of the same species and what is similar and what is the difference due to

Answer 1

the genome is relatively similar and there are differences within the DNA base sequences which is due to genetic variation

Question 2

How does genetic diversity arise?

Answer 2

genetic variation is transferred from one generation to another

Question 3

What does mutations result in?

Answer 3

generation of new alleles and contributes to genetic diversity and the size of the gene pool increases

Question 4

What characteristics can the new allele have, is it advantageous? is it always seen when it first arises?

Answer 4

• the new allele may be advantageous or disadvantageous or no apparent effect
• new alleles aren’t always seen in the individual that they first occur
• they can remain hidden within a population for several generations before they contribute to phenotype variation

Question 5

How do differences in phenotypes occur?

Answer 5

difference in the alleles possessed by individuals within a population

Question 6

What does environmental factors act as?

Answer 6

selection pressure

Question 7

What does selection pressure do?

Answer 7

increases the chance of individuals with a specific phenotype surviving and reproducing over others

Question 8

What is the favoured phenotype?

Answer 8

a higher fitness

Question 9

What is the fitness of an organism defined by? and what does a higher fitness allow?

Answer 9

the ability to survive and pass on its alleles to offspring

a higher fitness possesses adaptations that make them better suited to their environment

Question 10

what does a population with a large gene pool/genetic diversity have an advantage of? what threat does a low genetic diversity possess?

Answer 10

A strong ability to adapt whereas a low genetic diversity makes a species prone to extinction