Question

A science teacher asks a class to list processes that are responsible for increasing variation in a population of living organisms, and explain what effect they have.

Which ,begin emphasis,three,end emphasis, student responses are correct?
A.
Mitosis, by producing two new cells that are genetically identical

B.
Mutations, which can add new genes that can be helpful or harmful

C.
Crossing-over during meiosis, which mixes up genes in the resulting cells

D.
Sexual reproduction, by combining genes from two individuals in the offspring

E.
Transcription and translation, which cells use to make proteins from instructions in DNA

Answer 1

The three correct responses that increase genetic variation are B. Mutations, C. Crossing-over during meiosis, and D. Sexual reproduction, as they introduce or shuffle genetic material in a way that produces unique combinations in offspring.

Step-by-step explanation:

The correct student responses that list processes responsible for increasing variation in a population of living organisms are:

• B. Mutations, which can introduce new alleles into a population, potentially leading to helpful or harmful variations in a species.
• C. Crossing-over during meiosis, which allows for the exchange of genetic material between homologous chromosomes, resulting in genetically unique gametes.
• D. Sexual reproduction, which combines genetic information from two parents to produce genetically distinct offspring.

These processes are essential for genetic variation, which is a key component of evolution and the survival of species. Mitosis does not introduce variability as it produces genetically identical cells, and transcription and translation are processes that relate to gene expression and protein synthesis rather than genetic variation.