Comparing genetic diversity

Question 1

How can genetic diversity within or between species be determined?

Answer 1

by comparing the frequency of measurable or observable characteristics, the base sequence of DNA, the base sequence of mRNA and the amino acid sequence of the proteins encoded by DNA and mRNA.

Question 2

Comparing observable characteristics like the shape or size used to be one way in which scientists classified species. However this has many limitations such as:

Answer 2

• The characteristics could be coded for by more than one gene.
• The same characteristics could have arisen separately.
• The characteristics could be influenced by the environment and not the genes.

Question 3

How can the genetic diversity of a species be measured?

Answer 3

by sampling DNA or mRNA from different individuals.

Question 4

What is interspecific variation?

Answer 4

differences between species

Question 5

What is intraspecific variation?

Answer 5

differences between individuals of the same species