3.4.4 Genetic Diversity and Adaptations

Question 1

What is a species?

Answer 1

Group of individuals that are similar physically and physiologically and which can interbreed to produce fertile offspring.

Question 2

What is a population?

Answer 2

Total number of organisms of one species in a given area at a given time that can interbreed.

Question 3

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 3

The number of different alleles of genes in a specific species or population. `

Question 4

Why is genetic variation important in a population?

Answer 4

Without genetic variation, an organism will not be able to adapt to changes in its environment which cause lead to extinction

Question 5

How does genetic variation occur?

Answer 5

• Mutation can result in new gene alleles
• These mustations in ceartain environments can be advantageous leading to higher reproductive sucess
• The allele is then inherited by the next generation
• After many generations the frequency of the allele is increased

Question 6

How can genetic variation be reduced?

Answer 6

• Genetic Bottlenecks
• The founder effect

Question 7

What is Genetic Bottleneck?

Answer 7

After a large population decrease, the genetic gene pool is decreased as some of the alleles are lost. After reproduction, genetic variation is reduced.

Question 8

What is the founder effect?

Answer 8

The process where a few organisms from a population start a new colony which limits the gene pool. The frequency of each allele is decreased compared to the original colony causing a decrease in genetic variation

Question 9

Why might the founder effect occur?

Answer 9

Geographical seperation
Religious seperation (Amish - Swiss colony in america)

Question 10

What is the process of Natural Selection?

Answer 10

1. A random mutaion in an organism allele occurs
2. This leads to a different characteristic to be present in the organism which may be advantageous
3. Therefore, the organism will be better adapted for the environment - outcompeting its competitors
4. The organim will then be able to live longer
5. The next generation will contain the advatageous allele and after multiple generations, a high proportion of that population would have that allele