Question

Define heredity. Explain the mechanism of hereditary changes.

Answer 1

Heredity can be defined as the process of transmission of the characters from the parents to the offspring through the mode of reproduction. Hereditary changes can occur due to following changes:

1. Natural Selection- The expression of a particular allele is more pronounced in a population as it provides survival advantage.
2. Genetic Drift- Sudden change in a small population due to which genetic variability is reduced.
3. Mutations- Sudden and inheritable changes in the genetic material that gives rise to a new allele.
4. Recombination- When the crossing over occurs during meiosis, the sequence of alleles changes on the chromosomes.