Adaptions and genetic diversity

• Types of Adaptation


  • Behavioural
  • Physiological
  • Structural
• Behavioural adaptation

  Responses made by an organism that help it to survive/reproduce
• Physiological adaptation

  A body process that helps an organism to survive/reproduce
• Structural adaptation

  A feature of an organism's body that helps it to survive/reproduce
• Genetic Diversity


  Biodiversity (or biological diversity) has to do with variation within living things, it is the variety of all living things on Earth
• Types of Diversity

  • Ecosystem Diversity: The range of different ecosystems found in a particular location
  • Species diversity: is the number of different species within an ecosystem
  • Genetic diversity: is the range of genetic characteristics within a single species
• Mutation


  A change in the genetic code in DNA can lead to the production of a change in the protein that is coded for and produced by that segment of DNA
• Mutations that occur in germline cells (sperm and eggs) are the source of new alleles within a population
• Variation via Meiosis:

  1. Crossing over of sections of chromosomes during prophase I of Meiosis I

  2. Independent assortment of chromosomes into gametes

  3. Results in new combinations of genes

  To note:

  Separation, or assortment, of homologous chromosomes is random
• Causes of Variation


  • Meiosis
  • Inheritance
  • Mutations
• Principle of Independent Assortment

  Different genes independently separate from one another when reproductive cells develop
• How embryo’s form?

  Egg and sperm cell fuse (fertilisation) to create a zygote. The zygote then, goes through the process of mitosis were it becomes an embryo.
• Populations with reduced genetic diversity face an increased risk of extinction. Reducing variation can lead to the eradication of populations or entire species