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Explain The Four Forces Of Evolution

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The four forces of evolution are mutation, natural selection, gene flow, and genetic drift. A mutation is a random change in a person’s genes or chromosomes; it is a phenomenon that occurs when a nitrogen base in the DNA sequence is manipulated, either through removal or a new one is introduced. Natural selection is the process in which organisms who have inferior genes, and therefore difficult lives, will die off; organisms with genes that are better fit for survival will produce their own offspring and maintain the genes that increase survivability. Gene flow is the spread of new genetic material from one population to another, as one group of people travel to new lands, new genes from that group will be introduced. Genetic drift is the …show more content…

The individuals that had AS, which is heterozygous for hemoglobin and sickle-cell anemia, maintained a higher survival rate in the wet areas of Kenya. The population that was heterozygous for hemoglobin and sickle-cell anemia would not contract malaria, or they would contract malaria, but be capable of living from the disease. The individuals that are heterozygous for sickle-cell anemia and hemoglobin are an excellent example of natural selection affecting the genotype of a population in a specific area; the people in Kenya acquired a drastic increase in percentage of those with the gene that is heterozygous for sickle-cell anemia and hemoglobin.

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A point mutation will replace a single nitrogen base, while a frameshift mutation will delete or insert a new nitrogen. A frameshift mutation is more likely to lead to a defective mutation than a point mutation because with a frameshift, the subsequent codons will now be rearranged. Now when translation occurs, all of the codons have been moved, which will result in a higher chance of creating a defective protein.

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