U4A2 Flashcards
gene pool
complete set of alleles present within a particular population.
allele frequency
proportion of certain alleles in a gene pool, calculated by frequency divided by total.
factors that can influence gene pools
mutations
environmental selection pressures
genetic drift
gene flow
artificial selection pressures
mutation
permanent changes to DNA sequences
2 categories of mutations
point mutations: change to a single nucleotide in a gene
block mutations: change to larger sections of DNA
4 categories of point mutations
silent mutations: no effect on amino acid sequence due to genetic code’s degenerate nature
missense mutations: substitute mutations that code for a different amino acid. (sickle cell anaemia)
nonsense mutations: substitute mutations that prematurely end translation of gene’s mRNA
frameshift mutations: alter reading frame of all following nucleotides.
4 categories of block mutations
deletion: removal of DNA section
duplication: replication and lengthening of DNA section
inversion: reversal of DNA section
translocation: switching of DNA sections on different chromosomes.
environmental selection pressures
factors in the environment that impact an organism’s ability to survive and reproduce
natural selection
mechanism through which organisms that are better adapted to their environment have increased chance of surviving and passing on alleles.
4 basic conditions that facilitate natural selection
variation: genetic diversity leads to phenotypic differences.
selection pressure: ESP impacts survivability of oragnisms in a population.
selection advantage: ESP aids survivability of certain organisms
heritability: advantageous trait must be heritable, over time allele frequency will increase.
darwin’s 4 observations
- there is phenotypic variation within species
- offspring tend to inherit the traits of their parents
- species produce more offspring than required to replace themselves
- there is struggle to survive
darwin’s 2 inferences
- individuals whose traits increase survivability leave more offspring than other individuals
- the unequal chance of reproduction will lead to accumulation of favourable traits in the population
genetic drift
changes to a population’s allele frequencies due to sudden and random events
2 types of genetic drift
- bottleneck effect
- founder effect
bottleneck effect
large portion of a population is wiped out by a random event, decreasing population size and lowering genetic diversity.
founder effect
small unrepresentative sample of individuals seperate from larger population to colonise new region and start a new population.
2 risks of reducing genetic diversity
- inbreeding
- lower adaptive potential
gene flow
introduction/removal of alleles between populations through either migration or inbreeding.
2 types of migration
immigration + emigration
speciation
process in which populations genetically diverge until they become distinct species.
isolating mechanisms
pre- and post-reproductive isolating mechanisms prevent species from interbreeding.
5 pre-reproductive isolating mechanisms
- geographical
- ecological
- temporal
- behavioural
- structural
geographical isolating mechanism
separation by barriers
ecological isolating mechanisms
separation by ecological niches or habitats
temporal isolating mechanisms
time when individuals are ready to breed differs
behavioural isolating mechanisms
mating behaviours differ
structural isolating mechanisms
physical characteristics prevent breeding
3 post-reproductive isolating mechanisms
- gamete mortality
- zygote mortality
- hybrid sterility
gamete mortality isolating mechanism
sperm unable to penetrate ovum
zygote mortality isolating mechanism
zygote is not viable
hybrid sterility isolating mechanism
offspring is viable but infertile
2 types of speciation
allopatric
sympatric
allopatric speciation
formation of a new species as a result of a geographical barrier. barriers isolate populations, preventing gene flow.
sympatric speciation
formation of a new species located in the same geographical location.
selective breeding
changing a population’s gene pool due to humans altering the breeding behaviour of animals/plants to develop a specific trait. (artificial selection)