Question

Write a short note on genetic drift.

Answer 1

Genetic drift refers to random changes in gene frequencies within a population that occur by chance rather than by natural selection. It is especially significant in small or isolated populations. Genetic drift can lead to the loss or fixation of alleles, reducing genetic variation within populations and potentially contributing to the formation of new species. Examples include the founder effect and bottle-neck effect, where populations undergo changes in allele frequencies due to random sampling events or drastic reductions in population size.