Standard 7c Preknowledge
7c) Students know new mutations are constantly being generated in a gene pool.
CALIFORNIA FRAMEWORKS SUMMARY:
Mutation is an important source of genetic variation within a gene pool. These random changes take the form of additions, deletions, and substitutions of nucleotides and of rearrangements of chromosomes. The effect of many mutations is minor and neutral, being neither favorable nor unfavorable to survival and reproduction. Other mutations may be beneficial or harmful. The important principle is that culling, or selective breeding, cannot eliminate genetic diseases or unwanted traits from a population. The trait constantly reappears in the population in the form of new, spontaneous mutations.