Final answer:
Genetic changes that contribute to genome evolution include mutation, recombination, gene duplication, and horizontal gene transfer. Mutations, such as frameshift and chromosomal alterations, are a primary source of genetic diversity and can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral to organisms.
Step-by-step explanation:
There are several types of genetic changes that contribute to gene alteration and genome evolution. These include:
- Mutation: A change to an organism's DNA that creates new genetic variation in a gene pool.
- Recombination: The rearrangement of genetic material, especially by crossing over in chromosomes during meiosis.
- Gene duplication: The process by which a region of DNA is replicated and an extra copy of a gene is created, which can evolve new functions.
- Horizontal gene transfer: The transfer of genes between organisms in a manner other than traditional reproduction.
Mutations are typically the most common way to introduce novel genotypic and phenotypic variance, and they can be beneficial, harmful, or neutral. They can arise spontaneously or be induced by environmental factors like ultraviolet light and radioactive radiation. Frameshift mutations occur when insertions or deletions of DNA bases cause a shift in the genetic code reading frame. Chromosomal alterations can include deletion, duplication, inversion, insertion, and translocation.