Question

What are three ways of removing DNA through mutation and genetic drift?

Answer 1

Genetic drift can remove DNA through mutation in three ways: introduction of new alleles through mutation, chance events, and the bottleneck effect.

Step-by-step explanation:

Genetic drift is a random process that can lead to changes in the gene frequencies of a population over time. There are three ways in which genetic drift can remove DNA through mutation:

1. Introduction of new alleles through mutation: Mutations can create new alleles in a gene pool, leading to changes in the genetic composition of a population. For example, if there are two alleles for fur color in a rabbit population and a mutation produces a third allele, the gene pool will change to incorporate the new allele.
2. Chance events: Natural disasters or other chance events can cause genetic drift by selectively removing individuals or alleles from a population. For instance, if a storm kills the only white rabbits in a population, the allele for white fur will diminish or disappear in the population.
3. Bottleneck effect: Events that randomly reduce the size of a population, such as a disaster, can magnify genetic drift. This effect occurs when a large portion of the gene pool is suddenly wiped out, resulting in a change in the genetic structure of the survivors. The disaster must be unrelated to the organism's traits, such as a hurricane or lava flow.