Genetic diversity, thanks to which there are variations in the genetic characteristics of the members of a species, is the key to biodiversity.
Genetic diversity is, as recognized within Environmental Law , the versatility (or variability ) at the genetic level within an ecosystem or a population. Stated in a simpler way, this expression refers to the variety that is distinguished when genetically comparing beings that belong to the same species with the purpose of noticing how genes vary between species and within them.
Genetic diversity , the elemental unit of biodiversity , is essential to guarantee the adaptation , evolution and survival of the members of a species over time, organisms that adapt to survive as nature transforms.
From the perspective of the neutral theory of molecular evolution , it is the so-called genetic drift associated with a neutral mutation in terms of natural selection that is responsible for a large part of the molecular evolutionary transformations. Appealing to artificial selection , meanwhile, humanity has achieved the domestication of animals and plants.
As can be deduced from understanding what genetic diversity consists of and what it implies, this issue is of utmost importance to ensure that in the environment there is a variety of well-conserved species (promoting the continuous improvement of races and families), that agriculture favor more and more convenient crops and livestock activity benefits from animals adapted to a wide range of habitats.
Much progress has already been made in research on this issue, but there is still much to study and discover to expand horizons and give genetic diversity a deeper benefit, avoiding ethical dilemmas and legal conflicts.
Applications of genetic diversity
Genetic diversity has multiple applications and benefits. It serves, as mentioned above, to promote stable agricultural systems, contributes to food security and allows each ecological community to better cope with obstacles or changes in the environment. It should be noted that, hand in hand with evolution , valuable resources are accumulated in times of adversity, among which we can identify the adaptive power to adapt to a new climate scenario and the tools that provide resistance to pests and/or diseases that are affecting to different populations and can be transmitted from generation to generation.
When genetic diversity is lost and the size of a population decreases, unfortunately, difficulties arise in terms of reproduction and conservation : the more considerable the genetic diversity , the more chances the species have to adapt and survive. In the event of extinction there is a loss of both the genetic variation and the genome of the disappeared species.
The hereditary, genetic information is concentrated in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid), which is transmitted to the descendants of a species and allows the functioning and development of organisms.
Science, with the help of technology, has been promoting plans and projects aimed at the genetic improvement of economically important species to strengthen them and make them fully develop.
On the other hand, it should be noted that human beings find hope in gene therapy since, despite being interpreted as experimental, it is a technique based on the act of transferring genetic material to various cells of a person in order to prevent or treat genetic problems.
Regardless of its field of application, genetic diversity is always contemplated, studied, measured and investigated. Techniques and studies for measurement range between DNA and protein analyses. It is also useful to take into account the number of alleles per locus and focus attention on heterozygosity .
Attributes and structure
By emphasizing the particularities and organization of genetic diversity, details associated with its attributes and structure come to light.
Experts approach it based on three aspects: function, composition and structure. Thus, the focus is directed to the series of evolutionary phenomena that influence genetic dynamics , to how genetic variation is distributed in different populations and, of course, to the peculiarities of the genes .
It cannot be overlooked that there are numerous factors that condition genetic diversity and affect it in one way or another. Genetic flows (movements based on a migration of genes that occurs when alleles are transferred (a concept specific to the field of biology that refers to the different variants or alternative DNA sequences located in the same space of chromosomes that are homologous) of an population to another; genetic variation ; natural selection and the mutation process are some examples of this.
Using a tissue or a sample of hair, skin or blood, it is possible to carry out a fundamental genetic test to detect possible mutations or alterations related to genetic diseases.
Key concepts linked to genetic diversity
There are various concepts that should be clear to make it easier to understand everything it encompasses and the importance of genetic diversity .
It is advisable to know how to distinguish, for example, between genotype (a term that refers to the set of genes that, depending on the allelic composition, constitute a subject) and phenotype (a word that indicates how it varies, according to each environment, the manifestation of the exclusive genotype of an organism).
It is even enriching to learn about the single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) responsible for modifications that lead to diseases capable of altering organic responses to drugs, viruses, bacteria, etc. And the topic cannot be concluded without remembering that DNA is deoxyribonucleic acid, where the essential genetic data for organisms to develop and evolve are concentrated, information that is transmitted by genetic inheritance .