Biodiversity

• What is biodiversity?

  Biodiversity is the variety of life and the range of living organisms found.
• How is biodiversity measured?

  Biodiversity is measured by the richness of an area, including the number of individuals and species.
• What components are included in biodiversity?

  Biodiversity includes the number of individuals of a species, the number of species, and their distribution.
• At what levels can biodiversity be considered?

  • Range of habitats where different species live
  • Number of species and differences between species
  • Genetic variation within a species
• What is a habitat?

  A habitat is the place where an organism lives and is part of an ecosystem.
• Give an example of a habitat.

  A mole’s habitat is the soil within a grassland.
• What defines a species?

  A species is a group of organisms that are very similar and can reproduce freely to produce fertile offspring.
• How are different breeds of dogs classified?

  Different breeds of dogs are classified as the same species.
• What is extinction?

  Extinction is when a species ceases to exist.
• Is extinction a natural process?

  Yes, extinction is a natural process.
• How have humans affected extinction rates?

  Humans have increased the rate of extinction of species.
• What is an endangered species?

  An endangered species is one that is under threat of extinction.
• What is a critically endangered species?

  A critically endangered species is one that is under threat of extinction in the very near future.
• What is genetic diversity?

  Genetic diversity refers to the variation of genes within a species.
• How do individuals in a species differ genetically?

  Individuals in a species may have different alleles of the same genes.
• Why is greater genetic variation important?

  Greater genetic variation allows a population to better cope with environmental changes.
• What factors affect genetic biodiversity?

  • Mutations forming new alleles
  • Gene flow through migration and interbreeding
  • Selective breeding (artificial selection)
  • Natural selection
  • Genetic bottlenecks
  • The founder effect
  • Genetic drift
• What is a genetic bottleneck?

  A genetic bottleneck is a reduction in genetic diversity due to a rapid decrease in population size.
• What causes a genetic bottleneck?

  A genetic bottleneck can be caused by events such as habitat destruction.
• What is the founder effect?

  The founder effect occurs when a new population is formed by relatively few individuals, leading to low genetic diversity.
• How does genetic drift affect small populations?

  In small populations, genetic drift can lead to the loss of alleles, reducing genetic diversity.
• What is genetic drift?

  Genetic drift is the random change in allele frequency and loss of alleles in a population.
• How can genetic diversity be measured?

  Genetic diversity can be measured by assessing how many genes in a population are polymorphic.
• What does "proportion of polymorphic gene loci" mean?

  It refers to the proportion of genes in a population that have more than one allele.
• What is a locus in genetics?

  A locus is the position of a gene or allele on a chromosome.
• How can different chromosomes have different versions of the same gene?

  Different chromosomes can have different versions of the same gene due to allelic variation.