Genetic diversity and adaptation

• Population

  All the organisms of a particular species that live in the same place
• Allele

  Different versions of a particular gene

  Found at the same locus
• Define genetic diversity

  The total number of different alleles in a population
• What advantage does a high genetic diversity provide

  Ability to adapt to a change in environment

  Allows for natura selection to occur
• Explain how natural selection results in development of new characteristics

  Random mutations result in new alleles

  Some alleles provide an advantage - survive and reproduce

  Their offspring receive the new allele and allele frequency increases over many generations