Biology Genetics & Biological Diversity Flashcards
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Read the first 7 Biology Genetics & Biological Diversity flashcards as text
Which of the following is an example of allopatric speciation?
Answer: A mountain range separating two populations of squirrels that diverge over time
Allopatric speciation occurs when a physical geographic barrier separates populations, allowing them to diverge independently.
Restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLPs) are useful in genetics because they:
Answer: Serve as molecular markers to track inherited DNA regions
RFLPs are DNA sequence variations that are detected as different-sized fragments after restriction enzyme digestion and can be used as genetic markers in linkage studies.
What is the primary characteristic that distinguishes mosses (bryophytes) from ferns (pteridophytes)?
Answer: Mosses lack vascular tissue while ferns possess it
Bryophytes lack vascular tissue (xylem and phloem) and are non-vascular, while pteridophytes (ferns) possess vascular tissue.
In population genetics, genetic drift has the greatest effect on:
Answer: Small, isolated populations
Genetic drift (random changes in allele frequencies) has a disproportionately large effect in small populations, where chance events can significantly alter allele frequencies.
Which of the following characteristics is shared by both gymnosperms and angiosperms?
Answer: Production of seeds
Both gymnosperms and angiosperms are seed-producing plants; the key difference is that angiosperm seeds are enclosed in fruit while gymnosperm seeds are naked.
A frameshift mutation is caused by:
Answer: Insertion or deletion of a nucleotide not in multiples of three
Frameshift mutations result from insertions or deletions of nucleotides in numbers that are not multiples of three, shifting the reading frame of all downstream codons.
Which evolutionary mechanism involves the preferential survival and reproduction of individuals with traits better suited to their environment?
Answer: Natural selection
Natural selection is the process by which heritable traits that increase reproductive success become more common in a population over successive generations.