Final answer:
Mutations increase genetic variation within a species by introducing new alleles into the population, which can have beneficial, neutral, or detrimental effects on the organism's fitness. Option (a) Mutations introduce new alleles into the population.
Step-by-step explanation:
Mutations are essential in increasing the genetic variation within a species. They are a significant source of new alleles in a gene pool, which in turn influence evolutionary processes. When a mutation occurs, it can result in a change in the DNA sequence of a gene which may lead to a different phenotype or trait. Multiple potential outcomes of a mutation exist:
- Mutations can introduce new genetic variation into a population, making it possible for natural selection to increase or decrease the frequency of these mutations over time.
- Sometimes, mutations have no noticeable effect on the organism's phenotype, these are often called neutral mutations.
- Occasionally, mutations can be beneficial, increasing an organism's fitness and chances of survival and reproduction.
- Alternatively, mutations can be detrimental, reducing an organism's fitness and likelihood of passing on these mutations to their offspring.
Sexual reproduction also contributes to genetic diversity by combining different alleles from parents and creating unique genotypes in the offspring. Thus, the correct option regarding how mutations increase genetic variation within a species is:
Option (a) Mutations introduce new alleles into the population.