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Chapter 15: Problem 3

Why can increasing homozygosity in a population be detrimental?

Short Answer

Expert verified
Increasing homozygosity within a population can be detrimental because it decreases genetic diversity, essential for survival and adaptation of a species. It's also associated with increased inbreeding, potentially leading to manifestation of harmful alleles, which can decrease overall population fitness.

Step by step solution

01

Understanding Homo- and Heterozygosity

Firstly, understand the difference between homozygosity and heterozygosity. In short, an individual is homozygous for a gene when identical alleles of the gene are present on both homologous chromosomes. On the other hand, an individual is heterozygous when different alleles of a gene are present on both homologous chromosomes.
02

Implication of Increasing Homozygosity within Population

Next, comprehend the implications of increasing homozygosity within a population. Higher levels of homozygosity mean less genetic diversity. Considering that genetic diversity is crucial for survival of any species as it allows them to adapt to changes in their environment, a decrease in genetic diversity can consequently be detrimental.
03

Understanding the Detrimental Consequence of Homozygosity

When there's increasing homozygosity within a population, it suggests that there's increased inbreeding. Inbreeding can lead to the manifestation of harmful alleles, which could be detrimental. This happens as harmful recessive alleles are more likely to meet and cause phenotypic effects in an inbred population, potentially leading to decreased overall fitness.

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Most popular questions from this chapter

Define genetic drift.

Explain the influence of natural selection on a. the virulence of tuberculosis. b. the changing degree of genetic diversity in an HIV population during infection. c. bacterial resistance to antibiotics.

How does a founder effect or a population bottleneck amplify the effect of genetic drift?

Give examples of how each of the following can alter allele frequencies from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium: a. nonrandom mating b. migration c. a population bottleneck d. mutation

How might a mutant allele that causes an inherited illness in homozygotes persist in a population?
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