AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -They are calledbeneficial mutations. They lead to new versions of proteins that help organisms adapt to changes in their environment. Beneficial mutations are essential for evolution to occur. They increase an organism’s changes of surviving or reproducing, so they are likely to become more common over time.

Detailed explanation-2: -The majority of mutations are neutral in their effects on the organisms in which they occur. Beneficial mutations may become more common through natural selection. Harmful mutations may cause genetic disorders or cancer.

Detailed explanation-3: -First, larger populations produce more mutant individuals per generation, which helps explore more genotypes and find optimal genotypes faster than smaller populations.

Detailed explanation-4: -Such changes are called germ-line mutations because they occur in a cell used in reproduction (germ cell), giving the change a chance to become more numerous over time.

Detailed explanation-5: -Mutations occur throughout the natural world. Some mutations are beneficial and increase the possibility that an organism will thrive and pass on its genes to the next generation. When mutations improve survival or reproduction, the process of natural selection will cause the mutation to become more common over time.