B13 Variation and evolution Flashcards
What is variation?
differences in the characteristics of individuals in a population
What can cause variation?
genetic causes, environmental causes, and a combination of genes and the environment
How do new phenotype variants occur?
mutations
What is selective breeding?
breeding plants and animals for particular characteristics
Describe the process of selective breeding.
1 choose parents with the desired characteristic
2 breed them together
3 choose offspring with the desired characteristic and breed again
4 continue over many generations until all offspring show the desired characteristic
What are the consequences of inbreeding?
inherited defects and disease
What is genetic engineering?
The genome of one organism is altered by adding a gene from another to create a desirable characteristic
How have plant crops been genetically engineered?
to be resistant to diseases/herbicides/pesticides, to produce bigger fruits, to give higher yields
How have bacteria been genetically engineered?
to produce useful substances, such as human insulin to treat diabetes
What are enzymes used for in genetic engineering?
cut out the required gene
What is used to transfer the required gene into the new cell in genetic engineering?
vector (e.g., bacterial plasmid or virus)
