Lesson 2 - Biodiversity within a species

Question 1

meaning allele frequency

Answer 1

the frequency with which a particular allele appears within a population

Question 2

meaning genetic diversity

Answer 2

a measure of the level of difference in the genetic make-up of a population

Question 3

meaning gene pool

Answer 3

all of the genes in a genome of a particular species

Question 4

meaning mutation

Answer 4

changes in the DNA structure

Question 5

how do mutations affect the gene pool of a population

Answer 5

mutations increase the gene pool of a population by increasing the number of different alleles available

Question 6

how is genetic diversity measured

Answer 6

by analysing the DNA and comparing particular regions for similarities and differences

Question 7

what is the difference between species richness and genetic variation

Answer 7

species richness is the number of different species in a given area, whilst genetic variation is the variety of alleles within a given species

Question 8

why are areas with many endemic populations vulnerable to the introduction to disease

Answer 8

• endemic populations have little genetic variation. This is because they have a small gene pool, so less genetic diversity, so not many individuals have the allele resistant to the pathogen. So, a single disease can wipe out a whole population
• the endemic populations has had no prior exposure to certain diseases, so haven’t evolved immune defenses. Thus, mild diseases can become deadly to them
• endemic species usually exist in small numbers in restricted areas. So a disease outbreak can spread through the whole population before any resistance develops