Gene Flow: Introduction, Factors, Examples
Gene Flow: The genetic variations within a population of an organism are referred to as "gene variants". Check this article for further updates.
Jasdeep Bhatia11 Jun, 2024
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Gene Flow: We are aware that because it aids in natural selection, genetic variety is a crucial part of the evolutionary process. The term "gene variants" describes the variations in an organism's genetic makeup within a population. Gene variations in a group are largely the result of multiple sources. One such source is gene flow. Gene flow will be discussed in more detail in this article, followed by examples of gene flow.
Introduction
The transfer and establishment of genes into the gene pool of another breeding population. Gene flow increases population diversity and enables new characteristic combinations by introducing unique alleles. Humans experience gene flow mostly as a result of forced or voluntary mobility of human groups. When it comes to migration, the effect on the genetic makeup of the local population is influenced by both the number of migrants and the magnitude of the allele frequency gap between migrants and locals.Gene flow
Allele exchange between two or more populations is known as gene flow. It goes by the name allele flow or gene movement because of this. Even while migratory animals frequently bring new alleles from one group to another, gene flow cannot happen unless the animals reproduce with the new population. A beetle from a brown beetle population moves into a green beetle population in the image below. The alleles resulting in a brown exoskeleton may be passed on to the brown beetle’s progeny if he mates. Nevertheless, the colors of these two groups of beetles have changed throughout time. Genetic drift or the founder effect from when one group separated from the other may have been the cause. The new population may benefit from the gene flow because genetic variety usually helps in species survival. The gene flow could be damaging because it might introduce deleterious alleles into the new population. If there is a lot of gene flow between the two groups, they can be regarded as one population. They may be divided by obstacles that make them appear to be separate populations, yet they share the same allele frequencies and are the same population.Gene-Flow-Affecting Factors
The movement of genes into and out of a population is caused by several variables. Mobility The definition of gene flow is that when members of one population interbreed with those of another, new allele features are introduced, altering the genetic makeup of the second population. When an animal or person reaches maturity, they typically leave their family or herd to mate with people from other groups. For instance, introducing green parrots to a population of red jungle parrots will increase the variety of colors in the gene pool of the red jungle parrot. When people from Africa, where malaria is common, breed with Europeans, this is another form of gene flow. The offspring will have malaria antibodies because one or both parents were from Africa. For pollination, birds, the wind, insects like bees, and other creatures carry pollen grains from one plant to another. But because an organism with more mobility is more likely to migrate, animals exhibit higher genetic diversity than plants. Environmental Factors In rare circumstances, environmental influences may also contribute to gene variants in a population. Take a group of birds who reside on a mainland near the sea as an illustration. Some birds may become dispersed from the bigger flock and wind up on an island in the middle of the sea due to a natural disaster like a storm or earthquake. When minimal vegetation is on an island, birds accustomed to eating grains must learn to hunt and consume insects. As a result, the two groups of birds’ genetic makeup will diverge along with their physical characteristics over time.Gene flow-preventing factors
Here are some limitations that inhibit gene transfer between populations: Geographical Barriers. Sometimes, geographical barriers like continental drift, deserts, large oceans, and towering mountains block migration into and out of a community. Long-term isolation may cause a population's genes to diverge dramatically from those of other closely related populations. In such cases, the isolated group's members will be regarded as a completely different species if they cannot reproduce with any other community. In addition, human actions like dam construction and forest destruction separate species geographically. Reproductive Barriers Besides the previously mentioned exterior constraints, internal constraints in reproductive organs also obstruct interspecies gene flow. To avoid mating with one another, some species have evolved distinct reproductive organs. A further factor contributing to reproductive isolation is that different species have varied mating rituals, seasons, and calls.Examples of Gene Flow
Bacteria Regarding gene flow, bacteria are incredibly fascinating. Bacteria are sexually dimorphic, unlike the other creatures covered in this article. How can bacteria exchange genetic variation without sexual reproduction? Other than sexual reproduction, bacteria and other asexual organisms can also convey genetic diversity. These procedures, such as horizontal gene transfer, enable the transmission of DNA between living things without the necessity for sexual reproduction. This gene transfers occurred millions of years ago and are responsible for a large portion of the diversity in living today. Any location where genetic variation was able to spread among the diverse populations of organisms is indicated by a horizontal line. The mechanisms for mitochondria and plastids like chloroplasts were acquired by eukaryotes as a result of this horizontal gene transfer. Birds on an Island Most instances of gene flow entail natural selection, unlike the example of dogs. Consider a vast bird population on the mainland. Some birds are forced to fly far into the air to avoid storms when a large one is brewing. The little flock descends and finds itself over the water. They are carried by the wind to a little island, where they establish themselves. Now that the two populations are sufficiently separated, regular interbreeding is impossible. The environmental elements that affect the two different populations will change over time. The island birds could be forced to adapt to a new diet and to entirely new weather patterns. This could even alter the populations' allele composition over time. Yet there are consistently more storms. Some birds might return to the mainland in a subsequent storm. They can interbreed with the main population once more here, and gene flow takes place when novel alleles from the island are incorporated into the population Likewise, any birds that go from the mainland population to the island population will convey the alleles that were chosen for there. The island population will become more diverse thanks to this gene flow. The founder effect may prevent the island's birds from having all the alleles prevalent on the mainland, so they may benefit from gene flow. The unique alleles created on the island can likewise be advantageous to birds on land.Gene Flow <span style=
Q1. How does gene flow affect evolution?
Ans. Gene flow has the effect of reducing genetic differences between populations, which prevents or delays the development of populations in various geographic locations into distinct species of the disease.
Q2. What exactly does "gene flow" mean?
Ans. Gene flow often referred to as gene migration, is the transmission of genetic material (by interbreeding) from one species population to another, affecting the makeup of the gene pool of the receiving population.
Q3. Is genetic exchange an evolutionary force?
Ans. Mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection are the four driving forces of evolution. During a mutation, a gene pool gains new genetic diversity. Genetic drift and gene flow change allele frequencies in a gene pool.
Q4. Why does gene flow occur?
Ans. Gene flow is brought about by the movement of gametes and the emigration of individuals from one group to another.
Q5. What causes gene flow?
Ans. Gamete movement and population emigration from one group to another cause gene flow.
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