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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
This statement suggests that by opting not to reproduce based on genetic screening, individuals can influence the frequency of certain alleles in the population. As specific genotypes become less prevalent due to selective reproductive choices, evolutionary changes may arise over time, impacting future human evolution.
Step 2
B. have no impact on future human evolution since the genes or DNA are not altered in the testing.
Answer
This option claims that human evolution remains unaffected as the genetic makeup itself does not change during the screening process. However, the decision not to procreate based on screening results can still indirectly influence the genetic makeup of future populations.
Step 3
C. increase genetic variation in the human population and will, therefore, have an impact on future human evolution.
Answer
While genetic screening may help identify genetic abnormalities, the act of choosing not to have children based on these results may actually reduce genetic variation by limiting reproduction of certain genotypes.
Step 4
D. result in complete loss of an allele from a population and will, therefore, have an impact on future human evolution.
Answer
This statement posits that if a specific allele is consistently chosen against in reproduction decisions, it could eventually be eliminated from the gene pool. This would directly affect future human evolution by diminishing genetic diversity related to that allele.