Genetic Diversity and Natural Selection

Genetic Diversity

• Genetic Diversity within a species is defined as all the different alleles in a population
• Each individual can only inherit two alleles (maternal and paternal)
• Genetic diversity can arise within a species from the processes of -
  • crossing over (meiosis)
  • independent segregation (meiosis)
  • random gamete combinations (fertilisation)
  • gene mutation (changes in base sequence of DNA)
  • non-disjunction (failure of chromosomes/chromatids to seperate in meiosis)
• Genetic diversity enables natural selection to occur

Natural Selection

Principles of Natural Selection:

• A population (of one species) shows variation in phenotypes, due to different genotypes
• Variation can be a result from a random mutation…