Genetic Information, Variation and Relationships Between Organisms: Genetic Diversity & Adaptations - Genetic Diversity

Question 1

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 1

• Genetic diversity is the number of different alleles of genes in a species or population

Question 2

Define the term gene pool

Answer 2

• A gene pool is all of the alleles of all the genes of all the individuals of a population

Question 3

Define the term population

Answer 3

• Group of individuals of the same species that live in the same place and are able to breed with one another

Question 4

Why is genetic diversity important?

Answer 4

• Genetic diversity is a factor in enabling natural selection
• Allows a population to adapt to changes in an environment (e.g disease)

Question 5

How is genetic diversity increased?

Answer 5

• Mutations in DNA

- Individuals migrating

Question 6

How do mutations in the DNA lead to an increase in genetic diversity?

Answer 6

• Mutations in DNA form new alleles

- Some alleles can be advantageous or disadvantageous

Question 7

How does the migration of individuals increase genetic diversity?

Answer 7

• When individuals from another population migrate and reproduce, different alleles are being introduced into a population
• This is called gene flow

Question 8

Define the term gene flow

Answer 8

• Gene flow is the movement of genes from one population to another

Question 9

How is genetic diversity decreased?

Answer 9

• Genetic bottlenecks

- The founder effect

Question 10

What is a genetic bottleneck?

Answer 10

• An event that causes a big reduction in a population

Question 11

How do genetic bottlenecks decrease genetic diversity?

Answer 11

• They reduce the number of different alleles in the gene pool, which reduces genetic diversity
• Survivors reproduce and a larger population is created from a few individuals

Question 12

What is the founder effect and how does it lead to a decrease in genetic diversity?

Answer 12

• When a few organisms from a population start a new colony and there are a small number of different alleles in the initial gene pool

Question 13

How can the founder effect lead to higher incidences of genetic disease?

Answer 13

• Frequency of each allele may not be representative of the alleles in the original population
• Allele frequency for genetic disease may be higher in new population

Question 14

What are possible causes of the founder effect?

Answer 14

• Migration leading to geographical separation

- A new colony is separated for religion