4.4.1

Genetic Diversity

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Genetic Diversity

Genetic diversity is the degree of variation in the genes that exist in a certain population.

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Alleles

  • There can be multiple versions of a specific gene.
  • The multiple versions of a gene are called alleles.
  • The greater the number of different alleles in a population, the greater the genetic diversity in that population.
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Increasing genetic diversity

  • Genetic diversity in a population is increased in two ways:
    • Mutations (creation of new alleles).
    • Gene flow (introduction of new alleles by migration).
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Natural selection

  • The presence of genetic variation in a population allows natural selection to take place.
  • Natural selection acts on a population to increase the frequency of advantageous alleles (alleles that increase the chance of survival) and decreases the frequency of harmful alleles (alleles that decrease the chance of survival).

Jump to other topics

1Biological Molecules

2Cells

3Substance Exchange

4Genetic Information & Variation

5Energy Transfers (A2 only)

6Responding to Change (A2 only)

7Genetics & Ecosystems (A2 only)

8The Control of Gene Expression (A2 only)

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