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Advances in DNA technology have made it possible to carry out genetic screening for particular genetic diseases - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 39 - 2015 - Paper 1
Question 39
Advances in DNA technology have made it possible to carry out genetic screening for particular genetic diseases. Some people may decide not to have children based on... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Advances in DNA technology have made it possible to carry out genetic screening for particular genetic diseases - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 39 - 2015 - Paper 1
Step 1
a. alter the frequency of an allele and will, therefore, have an impact on future human evolution.
Answer
Choosing not to have children based on genetic screening can alter the allele frequencies in a population. If individuals with certain genotypes choose to avoid reproduction, those alleles may become less frequent over generations, thus impacting the evolutionary trajectory.
Step 2
B. have no impact on future human evolution since the genes or DNA are not altered in the testing.
Answer
While the testing itself does not change the genes, the decision to not reproduce can lead to changes in allele frequencies due to selective pressure. Therefore, this statement is not accurate in relation to human evolution.
Step 3
C. increase genetic variation in the human population and will, therefore, have an impact on future human evolution.
Answer
This statement is incorrect because choosing not to reproduce based on genetic screening does not increase genetic variation. In fact, it may reduce the variation if individuals with certain traits are systematically not reproducing.
Step 4
D. result in complete loss of an allele from a population and will, therefore, have an impact on future human evolution.
Answer
If certain alleles are associated with genetic diseases and individuals carrying those alleles choose not to reproduce, this could lead to the loss of those alleles in subsequent generations, thus influencing future human evolution.