Why is Variation Important to our Survival?

 by Mahir Asef

How do we survive in the long term? Well the answer is below.

Genetic diversity is very important for all organisms so they can continue to adapt and evolve to their ever-changing environmental conditions. Variation leads to more genetic diversity and more beneficial alleles so the more beneficial alleles and traits can be passed down so that worse traits (that would lead to our demise) are less frequently passed down. 

Meiosis is key to our survival because it leads to genetic diversity, it does this through crossing over and independent segregation. Crossing over happens in metaphase between homologous chromosomes, parts of each sister chromatid can swap with parts of a different gene. It will swap with the same gene as each gene has the same locus but it creates genetic diversity as it will be two different alleles swapping thus creating genetic diversity as the gametes produced by meiosis will be genetically different to their parents. Independent segregation causes homologous chromosomes to be randomly distributed to daughter cells so the gametes produced have a different combination of chromosomes to each other so all the gametes are genetically different from each other and their parents thus causing genetic diversity. Finally, meiosis creates four haploid gametes that are genetically different to each other so that when they fuse with another gamete to form a zygote cell the eventual animals will all be genetically different from each other. And this is important because genetic diversity and variation ensure that one disease or threat cannot wipe out an entire population. 

Mutations also lead to genetic diversity, random mutations can occur as insertions, deletions, or substitutions. Deletions and insertions can cause frameshifts, a frame shift can change the entire amino acid sequence therefore increasing diversity but they can have adverse effects. A substitution only affects one triplet codon, and so it has a lower chance of causing a substantial change. However, while mutations are treated as horrific things by the media they can often be beneficial and without them one disease could wipe out the entire human race. 

Therefore it’s very clear to see mutations and meiosis. The two Ms are vitally important to our survival, so next time you fall ill and survive thank the three Ms. Meiosis, mutations and Mahir for informing you.