11.5 - Calculating genetic biodiversity Flashcards
What is genetic biodiversity, and why is it important?
Genetic biodiversity refers to the variety of alleles within a population. It is important because it increases a species’ ability to adapt to environmental changes, reducing the risk of extinction.
What is a gene pool?
A gene pool is the complete set of alleles present in a population.
How does genetic biodiversity help a species survive environmental changes?
A population with higher genetic biodiversity is more likely to contain advantageous alleles, allowing some individuals to survive disease, climate changes, or new predators, ensuring species survival.
What are the two main ways genetic biodiversity can increase?
- Mutations – Create new alleles.
- Gene flow – Interbreeding between different populations introduces new alleles.
What is selective breeding, and how does it reduce genetic biodiversity?
Selective breeding (artificial selection) is when only individuals with desirable traits are bred, reducing the number of available alleles in the population.
How do captive breeding programs affect genetic biodiversity?
They use a limited number of individuals, leading to a smaller gene pool and increased risk of inbreeding.
What is the founder effect?
When a small number of individuals form a new, isolated population, reducing genetic diversity.
What is a genetic bottleneck?
When an event (e.g., natural disaster or disease) drastically reduces a population, leading to a loss of genetic diversity.
What is genetic drift, and how does it affect biodiversity?
Genetic drift is the random loss of alleles over time, reducing genetic biodiversity, especially in small populations.
What is polymorphism, and why is it important?
A polymorphic gene has more than one allele, increasing genetic diversity within a population.
What is an example of a polymorphic gene in humans?
The immunoglobulin gene, which determines blood type (A, B, or O).
What is the formula for calculating genetic biodiversity using polymorphic loci?
Proportionofpolymorphicgeneloci = Number of polymorphic Gene loci ÷ Total number of loci
What does a higher proportion of polymorphic gene loci indicate?
A greater genetic biodiversity within the population.
Why is maintaining genetic biodiversity important for conservation efforts?
It ensures populations can adapt to environmental changes, reducing the risk of extinction and promoting long-term survival.
What is monomorphic vs. polymorphic genes?
Monomorphic genes have only one allele in a population (ensuring consistency in species traits).
Polymorphic genes have multiple alleles, increasing genetic biodiversity.
How does natural selection reduce genetic biodiversity?
Over time, alleles that don’t provide an advantage are lost, leading to a population with mainly advantageous traits.
Why is genetic drift more significant in small populations?
Because random changes in allele frequency can cause some alleles to disappear entirely, reducing biodiversity more quickly than in large populations.
How can humans help maintain genetic biodiversity?
By promoting:
Wildlife corridors (to encourage gene flow).
Captive breeding with genetic management (to prevent inbreeding).
Seed banks & gene banks (to preserve genetic material).
What is the founder effect, and how does it impact genetic biodiversity?
It occurs when a small group of individuals becomes isolated, leading to a limited gene pool and reduced genetic biodiversity.
What is a genetic bottleneck, and what causes it?
A drastic reduction in population size due to an event (e.g., natural disaster, disease), leaving behind only a small gene pool.
How does gene flow increase genetic biodiversity?
When individuals from different populations breed, they introduce new alleles, increasing genetic variation.
Why is selective breeding a threat to genetic biodiversity?
It limits the number of alleles in a population by breeding only individuals with desired traits, reducing variation.
Why is captive breeding a risk to genetic biodiversity?
It often involves a small number of breeding individuals, leading to inbreeding and a reduced gene pool.
Why is maintaining high genetic biodiversity important for species survival?
It increases adaptability to environmental changes, reducing the risk of extinction from disease or climate shifts.
