LibGuides: VCE Biology Unit 4: Genetic Makeup

Online Resources

What is Darwin's Theory of Evolution?
The theory of evolution by natural selection, first formulated in Darwin's book "On the Origin of Species" in 1859, is the process by which organisms change over time as a result of changes in heritable physical or behavioral traits.
Evolution and natural selection review
Speciation: The Origin of New Species
Darwin indicated that species could form by the evolution of one species splitting into two, or via a population diverging from its extant ancestor to the point it was a new species. ....
Genetic variation
If all members of a species have the same set of genes, how can there be genetic variation?
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If all members of a species have the same set of genes, how can there be genetic variation?
Polyploidy
Polyploids are common among plants, as well as among certain groups of fish and amphibians. How does this interesting condition crop up, and what advantages and disadvantages does it impart?
Chromosomal Abnormalities: Aneuploidies
Aneuploidies disturb the delicate balance of gene products in cells by changing the chromosome number. What are the causes and phenotypic consequences of these meiosis mishaps?
Aneuploidy & chromosomal rearrangements
Gene pool
Gene pool, sum of a population’s genetic material at a given time.
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The term typically is used in reference to a population made up of individuals of the same species and includes all genes and combinations of genes (sum of the alleles) in the population.
Allele frequency
The allele frequency represents the incidence of a gene variant in a population
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. Alleles are variant forms of a gene that are located at the same position, or genetic locus, on a chromosome. An allele frequency is calculated by dividing the number of times the allele of interest is observed in a population by the total number of copies of all the alleles at that particular genetic locus in the population. Allele frequencies can be represented as a decimal, a percentage, or a fraction. In a population, allele frequencies are a reflection of genetic diversity. Changes in allele frequencies over time can indicate that genetic drift is occurring or that new mutations have been introduced into the population.
Allele frequency & the gene pool
How to find allele frequency and how it's different from genotype frequency. What a gene pool is.
Hardy-Weinberg equation
The Hardy-Weinberg equation is a mathematical equation that can be used to calculate the genetic variation of a population at equilibrium.
The Five Agents of Evolutionary Change
Does Natural Selection Operate on Genotype or Phenotype?
Why Natural Selection Acts on Phenotype, Not Genotype
Genetic drift
This article examines genetic drift, an evolutionary mechanism that produces random (rather than selection-driven) changes in allele frequencies in a population over time.
Speciation
There are four major variants of speciation: allopatric, peripatric, parapatric, and sympatric.
Species & speciation
This article explores how species are defined in greater detail. We'll also look at speciation, the process by which new species arise.
What is a gene mutation and how do mutations occur?
Human Genetic Modification
Terms

Online Videos

Next video :Darwin: On the Origin of Species
Summary and analysis of Charles Darwin's On the Origin of Species. In this video, we will explore Charles Darwin's seminal work on evolution titled, On the Origin of Species, and hopefully dispel some of the confusion surrounding his ideas.

News / Research

One of Darwin's evolution theories finally proved
Scientists have proved one of Charles Darwin's theories of evolution for the first time -- nearly 140 years after his death. Researchers discovered mammal subspecies play a more important role in evolution than previously thought. Her research could now be used to predict which species conservationists should focus on protecting.
New species of early human found in the Philippines
Researchers have uncovered the remains of a new species of human in the Philippines, proving the region played a key role in hominin evolutionary history.
Population ecology: Origins of genetic variability in seals
A new study shows that fluctuations in population sizes in the past have had a significant effect on contemporary seal populations, and estimates the risk of genetic impoverishment in the species investigated.
Measuring chromosome imbalance could clarify cancer prognosis
Researchers have found that higher levels of aneuploidy lead to much greater lethality among prostate cancer patients. This suggest a mechanism for how some prostate cancers become lethal, and could be used to alert doctors which patients might need to be treated more aggressively.
How gene flow between species influences the evolution of Darwin's finches
Despite the traditional view that species do not exchange genes by hybridisation, recent studies show that gene flow between closely related species is more common than previously thought. A team of scientists now reports how gene flow between two species of Darwin's finches has affected their beak morphology.
New world map of fish genetic diversity
An international research team has studied genetic diversity among fish around the world for the first time. Their research produced a map that will serve as a tool in improving the protection of species and genetic diversity in the future.
A Disappointing Decade for the Study of Human Evolution
New species of ‘walking’ sharks discovered in Australia
Gene mutation enhances cognitive flexibility in mice
Researchers have discovered in mice what they believe is the first known genetic mutation to improve cognitive flexibility -- the ability to adapt to changing situations.
Fish sprouted fingers before they ventured onto land, fossil shows
A 380-million-year-old fossil of a fish has revealed that fingers evolved in vertebrates before the creatures wriggled out of the sea and evolved into land-dwelling creatures, as a new study describes.

Revision

AP Biology : Understanding Genetic Drift, Bottleneck Effect, and Founder Effect