4. Genetic Information Variation and Relationships - Genetic Diversity and Adaptation

Question 1

What causes the genetic diversity found on Earth?

Answer 1

Variation in DNA

Question 2

What do organisms of the same species differ in?

Answer 2

Combination of alleles, not their genes.

Question 3

Define genetic diversity:

Answer 3

The total number of different alleles in a population.

Question 4

Define population:

Answer 4

A group of individuals of the same species that live in the same place and can interbreed.

Question 5

What leads to a greater genetic diversity of a species?

Answer 5

The greater the number of different alleles that all members of a species possess.

Question 6

What is the benefit of a greater genetic diversity and can you explain this?

Answer 6

The greater the genetic diversity, the more likely that some individuals in a population will survive an environmental change, because of a wider range of alleles and therefore a wider range of characteristics.

Question 7

Name one factor that allows natural selection to occur:

Answer 7

Genetic diversity

Question 8

What is a gene pool?

Answer 8

A wide variety of alleles within any population of a species.