I'm having trouble answering this:

The average size of a large fish that humans use for food has been decreasing over time, Exp-lain how, exactly, this happens - be sure to discuss genes, proteins, traits, and selection pressure.

This is all I can answer :(

The large fish are more desirable to catch, making their population decrease. The large fish will be forced to mate with the smaller fish, producing smaller offspring.

Any help is appreciated. This is a question from a practice test that I am taking for my bio class.

The question asks you to explain how the average size of large fish used for food has been decreasing over time. To answer this question, we need to consider the concepts of genes, proteins, traits, and selection pressure.

1. Genes: Genes are the units of heredity that determine the characteristics or traits of an organism. In the case of fish, genes play a role in determining their size.

2. Proteins: Proteins are molecules that are essential for various biological functions. They are synthesized based on the instructions encoded in the genes.

3. Traits: Traits are the observable characteristics of an organism that are determined by the combination of genes inherited from their parents. In this case, the size of the fish is a trait.

4. Selection pressure: Selection pressure refers to the environmental factors that influence the survival and reproduction of individuals within a population. In this case, the selection pressure is related to the fishing practices of humans.

Now, let's explain how the average size of large fish used for food has been decreasing over time:

1. Humans prefer to catch larger fish for food because they provide more meat or fulfill certain cultural preferences. As a result, there is a selection pressure favoring larger fish.

2. When humans selectively catch larger fish more often, they reduce the number of large fish in the population. This leads to a decrease in the availability of large fish for mating.

3. If large fish are scarce, they are more likely to mate with smaller fish due to limited choices. This mating between large and small fish results in a mixing of genes and produces offspring with a combination of traits from both parents.

4. Since the average size of the offspring depends on the genetic information inherited from their parents, mating between large and small fish will tend to produce smaller offspring on average.

5. Over time, repeated selection pressure and mating patterns will lead to a decrease in the average size of the fish population used for food.

It's important to note that this explanation assumes that fish size is at least partially determined by genetic factors. Additionally, other factors such as environmental changes and overfishing practices may also contribute to the decreasing average size of large fish used for food.