Genetics

Question 1

The Amish are a group of people who live in America. This group was founded by 30 Swiss people, who moved to America many years ago. The Amish do not usually marry people from outside their own group.One of the 30 Swiss founders had a genetic disorder called Ellis-van Creveld syndrome. People with this disorder have heart defects, are short and have extra fingers and toes. Ellis-van Creveld syndrome is caused by a faulty allele.In America today, about 1 in 200 Amish people are born with Ellis-van Creveld syndrome. This disorder is very rare in people in America who are not Amish.Use the information provided and your knowledge of the founder effect to explain why Ellis-van Creveld syndrome occurs at a higher frequency in the Amish population than in people in America who are not Amish.

Answer 1

1. Population formed by a small number of founders/people /30 people2. (Founders show) less genetic diversity / small(er) gene pool / less variety of alleles3. Individuals breed within group / do not breed with outsiders4. High(er) chance of inheriting allele (than in non-Amish population)

Question 2

What is the difference between interspecific variation and intraspecific variation?

Answer 2

Interspecific = variation that exsists between different species. E.g. the difference between horses and ducks.Intraspecific = The differences that occur within a species e.g. the length of giraffes necks