Question

Define gene pool?

Answer 1

Hint: A gene is the basic functional and physical unit of heredity. Genes are made up of DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid). Some genes act as instructions to make molecules called proteins.

Complete answer:
The collection of all the genes and the allelic forms of those genes within a population is called its gene pool. Population involves members of the same species that interbreed.

The gene pool is the set of all genes or genetic information in any population and it is the sum of a population’s genetic material at a given time. The combination of all the versions of all the genes in a species is called the gene pool of the species.

The composition of gene pool can change over time though evolution and this evolution can be done by a variety of mechanisms:
- Mutation
- Natural selection
- Genetic drift

The gene pool increases when a mutation changes a gene and the gene pool decreases when an allele dies. A gene pool is a collection of alleles whose phenotype may or may not be observable. A small gene pool is very bad for a species because it reduces the chances of variation and a large gene pool provides great resistance against diseases like infertility, deformities and genetic disorders.

Hence, the correct answer is option (B).

Note: A large and diverse gene pool, may improve the chances of the population to adapt in the changing environmental conditions and variation is high when there are many different allelic forms of all genes.