Genetic Variation

Question 1

What is genetic diversity?

Answer 1

Genetic differences between in terms of alleles in individuals within a population

Question 2

What is allele frequency?

Answer 2

How often a particular allele occurs within a population

Question 3

What is gene flow?

Answer 3

When alleles move between a population

Question 4

How does Gene flow come about?

Answer 4

Gene pools (genetic information in a population) can change when indivudals leave a population or when individuals from a different population join a population.

Question 5

What is the effect of Gene flow on genetic diversity?

Answer 5

Can increase genetic diversity in a population

Question 6

Describe contribution of individuals towards genetic diversity in different populations

Answer 6

• In small populations, each indivudal makes a large contribution towards total genetic diversity
• In large populations, each individual makes a small contribution towards total genetic diversity

Question 7

What is genetic drift?

Answer 7

Change in allele frequency due to chance

Question 8

In what type of populations does genetic drift more commonly occur?

Answer 8

Small populations with little/no gene flow

Question 9

How does Genetic Drift occur?

Answer 9

• In small population, and event of chance may cause loss of certain allele
• This results in loss of genetic diversity over time as alleles are lost from gene pool

Question 10

What are two ways a population size can be reduced?

Answer 10

• Founder Effect
• Bottleneck Effect

Question 11

What is a gene pool?

Answer 11

The sum of all the alleles present in a particular population