Question

Which of the following processes affect the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium to cause variation at the genetic level?

• A. Mutation and recombination
• B. Gene migration and genetic drift
• C. Natural selection
• D. All of the above

Answer 1

Answer: (D)

All of the above

According to the Hardy Weinberg law, the allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain constant under absence of factors responsible for evolution. These factors are namely mutation, recombination, gene migration, genetic drift and natural selection. Mutation is defined a sudden inheritable changes in the genetic material of organisms and thereby introducing the new alleles and disrupting the allelic frequency of the population. Recombination occurs through the process of cross over and independent assortment of chromosomes during meiosis and by random fusion of gametes. Gene migration is the flow of genetic material between two populations through incoming of new individual and thereby introducing/removing alleles from the population gene pool. Genetic drift or allelic drift refers to the change in the frequency of an allele in a population due to random sampling of organisms. Natural selection is the survival and reproductive advantage to certain allelic combination; the favored alleles increase their frequency in population by their higher reproductive rates. Thus, option D is the correct answer.