Question

What is the role of mutation and recombination in evolution?

Answer 1

Evolution: The process by which modern organisms have descended from their ancestors, with changes in their allele frequencies, is called evolution.

Role of mutation and recombination in evolution:

1. Both mutation and recombination result in variation.
2. Variation is the main driving force of natural selection, which results in evolution.
3. Random mutations can lead to new inheritable traits, which make an organism better adapted to its environment.
4. Mutation is important as the first step of evolution because it creates a new DNA sequence for a particular gene, creating a new allele.
5. Recombination also can create a new DNA sequence (a new allele) for a specific gene through intragenic recombination.