3. 3. 2 - biodiversity between a species

Question 1

what is a gene pool?

Answer 1

all of the genes in the genome, including all the different variants of each gene

Question 2

what are mutations?

Answer 2

changes in the DNA structure

Question 3

what can mutations do to the gene pool of a population?

Answer 3

mutations can increase the gene pool of a population
- by increasing the number of different alleles available

if a mutation results in an advantageous feature, the allele frequency of that allele will increase
disadvantageous features could result in the allele’s removal from the gene pool
- but in most cases it will just be held at a low frequency in case the conditions change and it becomes advantageous

Question 4

what is allele frequency?

Answer 4

the frequency with which a particular allele appears within a population

Question 5

what is genetic diversity?

Answer 5

a measure of the level of difference in the genetic make-up of a population

Question 6

what makes the genetic diversity of a species good?

Answer 6

• if it is high in genetic diversity
• as without variety a population becomes vulnerable

e.g: cheetahs (such low genetic diversity they are at risk of being wiped out by a singular environmental change or disease)

Question 7

what are the use of maps that show genetic variation, species richness or species evenness?

Answer 7

it can be used to highlight areas that need protection and provide a way of monitoring changes in biodiversity

Question 8

why are endemic populations very vulnerable to the introduction of disease?

Answer 8

• often have a rich biodiversity in terms of species numbers
• but relatively low genetic diversity
• one small change could wipe out the whole population