Population Genetics

Question 1

Population

Answer 1

an interbreeding group of organisms or species that occupies a particular area

Question 2

Gene Pool

Answer 2

collection of all alleles of all the genes found within a freely interbreeding population

Question 3

Genetic Drift

Answer 3

random changes in the allele frequency of any population. it is more obvious in small populations

Question 4

natural selection

Answer 4

Individuals who are better adapted are more likely to survive

Question 5

Deme

Answer 5

a subdivision of a population consisting of closely related plants, animals, or people, typically breeding mainly within the group.

Question 6

Geographical barrier

Answer 6

A geographical barrier is something that blocks the pathway to something, this can be any natural feature such as mountains that prevents easy movement from one place to another.

Question 7

Gene flow

Answer 7

The movement of alleles between individuals of different populations; includes the dispersal of pollen and seeds in plants

Question 8

Mutation

Answer 8

a permanent change in a genetic sequence, including changes to the nucleotide sequence of DNA or chromosomal arrangement . Can have a beneficial, harmful or no effect on survival ability of individual

Question 9

Immigration

Answer 9

rate at which individuals enter or leave a population.

act or process of moving to another region with the intent of residing

Question 10

Emigration

Answer 10

leaving of a place of residence or habitat with the intent of living in another place

Question 11

founder effect

Answer 11

occurs when a small portion of a population disperses to a new location and becomes genetically isolated from the main population

Question 12

allele frequency

Answer 12

the relative proportion of a particular allele in a gene pool. typically presented as a decimal or percentage of the allele of that gene in the gene pool

Question 13

phenotype

Answer 13

the observable trait; expression of a genotype in an individual for a particular trait . The dominance of alleles and the environmental conditions influence the phenotype of an individual
eg nutrient availability may influence the pigment synthesis of flower petals or hair follicles in animals

Question 14

alleles

Answer 14

different forms of a gene

eg a gene that codes for hairline shape in humans has two alleles- straight and widows peak

Question 15

diversity

Answer 15

the variability among living organisms from all sources

Question 16

population bottle necks

Answer 16

sharp reduction in the size of a population due to environmental events (such as famines, earthquakes, floods, fires, disease, or droughts) or human activities (such as genocide).

Question 17

endangered species

Answer 17

A plant or animal species existing in such small numbers that it is in danger of becoming extinct, especially such a species placed in jeopardy as a result of human activity. One of the principal factors in the endangerment or extinction of a species is the destruction or pollution of its native habitat.

Question 18

catastrophic event

Answer 18

Any natural or man-made incident, including terrorism, which results in extraordinary levels of mass casualties, damage, or disruption severely affecting the population, infrastructure, environment, economy, national morale, and/or government functions.

Question 19

susceptible to disease

Answer 19

member of a population who is at risk of becoming infected by a disease.

Question 20

lost alleles

Answer 20

A population bottleneck is an event that drastically reduces the size of a population. … The population bottleneck produces a decrease in the gene pool of the population because many alleles, or gene variants, that were present in the original population are lost, meaning they arent evident in the population anymore

Question 21

fixed alleles

Answer 21

A fixed allele is an allele that is the only variant that exists for that gene in all the population. A fixed allele is homozygous for all members of the population.

Question 22

evolution of new species

Answer 22

Speciation is the process by which new species form. It occurs when groups in a species become reproductively isolated and diverge. In allopatric speciation, groups from an ancestral population evolve into separate species due to a period of geographical separation.