Genetic Diversity and Natural Selection

What is genetic diversity?

The number of different alleles of genes in a population

What is the phenotype of an organism?

The expression of the genotype and its interaction with the environment

Describe the relationship between genetic diversity and variation of phenotypes.

As genetic diversity increases, variation of phenotypes increases

Describe the process of natural selection.

• Mutations can lead to new alleles

• This leads to a phenotype where the organism is more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on its genes

• Offspring is also more likely to survive, reproduce and pass on genes

• Over many generations, frequency of new allele increases in the population

What are the two types of natural selection?

Stabilising selection and directional selection

What does stabilising selection favour?

Intermediate phenotypes

What does directional selection favour?

Extreme phenotypes