Question

Only variations that confer an advantage to an individual organism will survive in a population. Do you agree with this statement? Why or why not? [3 MARKS]

Answer 1

Each point: 1 Mark

1. We agree with the statement that only variations that confer an advantage to an individual organism will survive in a population. All the variations do not have an equal chance of surviving in the environment in which they find themselves.
2. The chances of surviving depend on the nature of variations. Different individuals would have different kinds of advantages.
3. Bacteria that can withstand heat will survive better in a heat wave. Selection of variants by environmental factors forms the basis for the evolutionary process.