Genetic Diversity

Question 1

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 1

The variety and number of different alleles in a population of a species

Question 2

What 3 things affect genetic diversity?

Answer 2

1. Genetic Bottlenecks
2. The founder effect
3. Artificial Selection

Question 3

What causes genetic diversity?

Answer 3

Variation in DNA base sequences coding for different proteins

Question 4

What is a genetic bottleneck?

Answer 4

A catastrophic event that causes a reduction in population of more than 50%

Question 5

What is the founder effect?

Answer 5

A small founder population colonises a new habitat

Question 6

What is artificial selection?

Answer 6

Certain alleles are specifically selected and other disadvantageous ones are deselected

Question 7

What are the effects of a genetic bottleneck?

Answer 7

1. Population size is greatly reduced
2. Genetic diversity is reduced
3. Population is less likely to have individuals that can adapt to changes in the environment
4. Inbreeding occurs to re-establish previous population size
5. This maintains the already reduced genetic diversity

Question 8

What is the result of the founder effect?

Answer 8

1. Genetic diversity is reduced
2. Founders will be less likely to adapt to environmental changes
3. Founders disproportionately represent the total number of alleles
4. Genetic drift

Question 9

What is a disadvantage to plants that are selectively bred?

Answer 9

1. They are out competed by wild plants and are very susceptible to drought

Question 10

What is a disadvantage to animals that are selectively bred?

Answer 10

1. Have certain alleles perpetuated
   - certain alleles such as the alleles for genetic disorders could be perpetuated

Question 11

What are some advantages of selective breeding?

Answer 11

1. Food is cheaper
2. Food is of a higher quality
3. Production costs for food are kept down

Question 12

Define genetic diversity

Answer 12

The variety of different genes / alleles in a population / species

Question 13

Explain why organisms of the same species show genetic diversity even though they have the same genes?

Answer 13

Same species contain different alleles of a specific gene and therefore exhibit genetic diversity

Question 14

Why is genetic diversity important?

Answer 14

1. The greater the genetic diversity the greater the variety of alleles in a population
2. So there is more likely to be an organism suited to the environment
3. So it is more likely an organism will be capable of adapting to changes in the environment

Question 15

What determines how large the genetic diversity is within a population?

Answer 15

The number of alleles in a population