Question

Why is genetic diversity a big deal for a species? Is it really important? What do you think?

Answer 1

Genetic variation is a measure of the genetic differences that exist within a population. The genetic variation of an entire species is often called genetic diversity. Genetic diversity in species ensures it's survival by adapting to the changing environment. It is a big deal since variation is reponsible for introducing new genes in the gene pool that enable the species to compete in the competition of survival of the fittest. Inbreeding breeds diseases as no new gene would be entering the gene pool, there would be very many chances of the lethal gene to occur in dominant position, thereby presenting a risk to the continued survival of disease. Genetic variation is also important for the process of natural selection of organisms which have variations better suited to the environment. If there was no genetic diversity, then a disease which can kill one organism of a particular species would finish off the whole species leading to it's extinction. While at first glance, it may look like a good idea, when you think about microbes and pathogens as one antibiotic would be sufficient to eradicate a whole species responsible for the disease, but when you think about it in terms of humans, then a drug which has a lethal side-effect would be lethal for the whole human species leading to our extinction itself. This is just a singular example, there are many other instances where genetic diversity has played a role in "survival of the fittest" and "natural selection", both of which are key enforcers of evolution. This is why genetic diversity is a very big deal for any species and it is desirable to have a greater variation between individuals of same species so as to provide a bigger gene pool for a population.