Genetic Diversity: Mutations, Sexual Reproduction, Migration, and Population Size

The study of heredity is what is referred to as genetics. Genetic diversity is therefore described as any variation in the genes, chromosomes, nucleotides or sometime change in the whole genomes of an organism. Though genome is not well branded term for many, it is the entire balance of DNA within the cell or organelles of the organism. When one talks of genetic diversity in its most elementary level, it is represented by differentiation in the sequence of nucleotides that form the DNA within the cell of an organism.

A permanent change in the DNA sequence which makes up a gene is what is referred to as gene mutation (Mahoney & Springer 2009). It is believed that gene mutation occurs in two ways: that is, it can be acquired in personal lifetime or inherited from a parent. Those that are passed from parents to the child are referred to as hereditary mutation. They acquire the name since they are present in the eggs and sperms or the germ cell. In this case, such kind of mutation is present all through one’s life in almost every cell in the body. A similarity in mutation and gene diversity is the change in the DNA sequence which makes both mutation and genetic diversity have related issues.

When it comes to genetic diversity and migration, migration is known as the movement of genetic diversity within a species. Migration of genes not only happens in animals but also in plants through pollen dispersal, vegetative propagules like rhizomes and suckers among others. Migration or in other term gene flow, is said to take place both with the proceeding front of a population when it is colonizing new areas. This happens when genes of two or more populations mix through pollen and seed dispersal. In this case, migration rate is mainly related to the frequency of reproduction and the distance over which seeds and pollen usually disperse.

According to Klug, &Ward (2009), members of a certain population from another are distinguished by the presence of unique genetic characteristics. It is believed that large populations have greater diversity of alleles, compared to the small populations. In most cases, the diversity of alleles designates a greater potential for any evolution of new genes combination. This also shows greater capacity for evolution in adapting different environmental condition. On the other hand, individuals in small populations are possible to be hereditarily, anatomically as well physiologically more consistently than in large populations.