Answer:
Mutation and sexual reproduction are two essential processes that contribute to creating and maintaining variation in a population.
Mutation is the ultimate source of genetic variation in a population. It is a random process that generates new alleles or genetic variations in an organism's DNA. Mutations can arise due to various factors such as exposure to radiation, chemicals, or errors during DNA replication. These mutations can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral, and they can change the physical traits of an individual.
Sexual reproduction involves the fusion of gametes from two parents to produce offspring that inherit traits from both parents. The process involves the mixing and recombination of genetic information from each parent, resulting in a unique combination of genes in the offspring. Sexual reproduction can introduce new genetic variations into the population and shuffle existing genetic variations, resulting in an increase in genetic diversity.
Both mutation and sexual reproduction work together to create and maintain genetic variation in a population. Mutations provide the raw material for genetic variation, while sexual reproduction shuffles and recombines this variation. The combination of these two processes leads to the creation of unique genetic combinations, which can help populations adapt to changing environmental conditions and evolve over time.
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