Variation Flashcards
What is genetic variation?
The diversity in the genetic makeup of a species
Variation may happen to _________ factors or _______.
Environment , genetics
What are the two types of variation?
Continuous and discontinuous
Define what discontinuous variation and give an example.
A characteristic of a species with only a limited number of values.
Blood type
Define what continuous variation and give an example.
There is no clear separation into distinctive categories as measurements are on a continuous scale.
Eg. Height, shoe size
Continuous variation is controlled by multiple genes / alleles having a smaller effect on the phenotype of an organism.
True or False
True
What are the mechanisms that genetic variation may occur through?
Mutation , meiosis , sexual reproduction
How does sexual reproduction being about genetic variation?
The combination of genetic material from two distinct sources created new genetic combinations.
How does mutation bring about genetic variation?
It creates new DNA sequence of a particular gene creating new alleles which creates diversity within the species.
What are mutation?
Mutation occurs when a DNA gene is damaged or changed in such a way as to alter the genetic message carried by that gene.
Give ways that mutation may occur
- Errors in DNA replication
- Exposure to radiation/ chemical
- Infection by a virus
Mutations may be __________, _____________, and ____________.
Beneficial, neutral and detrimental.
What is point mutation?
Refers to changes in a single nucleotide.
Point mutation may be beneficial and devastating.
True or false?
False it may be neutral or devastating.
What are the ways that a point mutation may happen?
Insertion, substitution and deletion.
Describe what happen with in these forms of point mutation
Insertion
Substitution
Deletion
Insertion - this occurs when a extra nucleotide is incorporated into the DNA sequence during DNA replication.
Substitution- refers to the case in which nucleotide is incorrectly swapped during DNA replication for another nucleotide.
Deletion- occurs when a nucleotide is skipped or absent from the replication stand.
When do most point mutation happens?
During DNA replication
Which of the two types point mutation are detrimental and why?
Insertion/ deletion as the DNA sequences are read in threes so if base pairs are not a multiple of three it disrupts the reading frame.
Examples of gene mutation
Cystic fibrosis, hemophilia and sickle cell anaemia.