Topic 4- Genetic diversity Flashcards
Organisms of the same species have very similar genomes, but two individuals (even twins) will have differences between their 1.____ _______ _______
1.DNA base sequences
Define genetic variation
The small differences in DNA base sequences between individual organisms within a species population
Is genetic variation transferred from one generation to the next?
Yes
Define genetic diversity
number of different alleles of genes in a population
What results in the generation of new alleles and contributes to genetic diversity or the size of the gene pool?
Mutations
The new allele may be advantageous, disadvantageous or have no apparent effect on phenotype due to the fact that the genetic code is what?
Degenerate
True or false:New alleles are not always seen in the individual that they first occur in (They can remain hidden (not expressed) within a population for several generations before they contribute to phenotypic variation)
True
What needs to be present in order for natural selection to take place?
Genetic diversity
What do selection pressures increase?
the chance of individuals with a specific phenotype surviving and reproducing over others
What is meant by the fitness of an organism?
its ability to survive and pass on its alleles to offspring
What do organisms with higher fitness possess?
adaptations that make them better suited to their environment
Do populations with a larger or smaller gene pool more vulnerable to becoming extinct?
Smaller