Q1. Answer the following in about 500 words each.
- (a)) Briefly discuss various evolutionary forces that shape genetic variation. (500 words)
- (b)) What is Genetic polymorphism? Briefly discuss various genetic markers that exhibit polymorphism. (500 words)
Key Points:
- Mutation is the primary source of all new genetic variation, introducing novel alleles.
- Natural selection non-randomly increases advantageous alleles and decreases deleterious ones, driving adaptation.
- Genetic drift causes random allele frequency fluctuations, especially in small populations, reducing variation.
- Gene flow (migration) moves alleles between populations, homogenizing frequencies and increasing local variation.
Answer: