Which statement is accurate about natural selection?(1 point)
Responses
Natural selection cannot occur through mutations.
Natural selection does not impact reproduction rates.
Natural selection does not change the alleles an organism has.
Natural selection cannot inactivate genes.
None of the statements are accurate about natural selection.
The statement "Natural selection cannot inactivate genes." is accurate about natural selection.
To determine which statement is accurate about natural selection, we need to understand what natural selection is and how it works.
Natural selection is a fundamental process in evolution that occurs when certain traits become more or less common in a population over time. It is driven by the differential survival and reproduction of individuals with advantageous traits, leading to the gradual adaptation of a population to its environment.
Let's analyze each statement to see if it aligns with the concept of natural selection:
1. "Natural selection cannot occur through mutations."
This statement is incorrect. Natural selection can occur through mutations. Mutations are the ultimate source of genetic variation, which is the raw material upon which natural selection acts. Mutations introduce new genetic variations into a population, and if these variations confer advantages in terms of survival or reproductive success, they can become more common over time through natural selection.
2. "Natural selection does not impact reproduction rates."
This statement is incorrect. Natural selection is directly influenced by an organism's reproduction rates. The main principle of natural selection is that individuals with traits that enhance their reproductive success will pass on those traits to a greater number of offspring, increasing the frequency of those traits in future generations. Traits that hinder reproduction or survival are likely to be selected against and become less common.
3. "Natural selection does not change the alleles an organism has."
This statement is incorrect. Natural selection directly impacts the frequency and distribution of alleles within a population. Alleles are different forms of a gene, and individuals with certain alleles may have advantages in surviving and reproducing. Those advantageous alleles will tend to increase in frequency over generations as a result of natural selection, while less advantageous or detrimental alleles may decrease or be lost from the population.
4. "Natural selection cannot inactivate genes."
This statement is incorrect. Natural selection can indeed lead to the inactivation or loss of genes. If a gene is non-functional or detrimental to an organism's survival or reproductive success, individuals carrying that gene are less likely to pass it on to future generations. Over time, through natural selection, the frequency of such non-functional or detrimental genes can be greatly reduced or even eradicated from a population.
Taking all of these points into consideration, we can conclude that none of the statements provided as options are accurate about natural selection.