AP BIOLOGY

Detailed explanation-1: -Genetic variation is useful because it helps populations change over time. Variations that help an organism survive and reproduce are passed on to the next generation. Variations that hinder survival and reproduction are eliminated from the population.

Detailed explanation-2: -The ultimate source of all genetic variation is mutation. Mutation is important as the first step of evolution because it creates a new DNA sequence for a particular gene, creating a new allele. Recombination also can create a new DNA sequence (a new allele) for a specific gene through intragenic recombination.

Detailed explanation-3: -Mutation is the ultimate source of variation. Without variation there could be no evolution, so mutations are of great importance to evolution.

Detailed explanation-4: -Beneficial 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.