Mechanism of

Evolution
Vishal Uragonda
  Mutation is a random change in an organism’s genetic makeup,
which influences the population’s gene pool. Mutations give rise to
new alleles; therefore, they are a source of genetic variation in a
population.
 Mutations may be harmful but they may also be beneficial. For
Mutation example, a mutation may permit organisms in a population to
produce enzymes that will allow them to use certain food
materials. Those with the mutation may be better suited for the
environment than others, survival of the fittest. Mutation causes
variation of traits. Variations get selected for their fitness by the
process of natural selection. Over time, many such variations leads
to speciation.
  Natural selection is the process where life-forms that are most
well adapted to its environmental conditions such as abiotic
factors (temperature, humidity, elevation, climate, light etc.) and
biotic factors (tropism, symbiotic relationships etc.) survive and
Natural pass on their genes and adaptive traits to future generations,
whereas less adapted life-forms are limited from doing so by the
Selection and same environmental conditions.
Variation  So these adaptive expressions arise randomly by genetic mutation
and differ from place to place. When these distinct genetic traits
are inherited and reproduce with other life-forms, speciation has
occurred, a distinct species has arises, with its own unique traits in
the ecosystem. Genetic Variation has occurred.
 
Meiosis makes sexual reproduction possible. This is where a
diploid organism produces haploid cells for purposes of
reproduction. Those haploid cells (called gametes) can combine
with the haploid cells of other individuals to make a new diploid
individual. Polypoloidy
Meiosis
The evolutionary importance of this, is that the new individual
contains a brand new set of genetic material different from either
of its parents. This increases the odds, in a population, that some
individuals may have some new genetic combinations that
produce some small improvement.
  Sexual reproduction provides genetic diversity because the sperm
and egg that are produced contain different combinations of
genes than the parent organisms. Gametes are formed by a
process called meiosis.
Sexual  A feature of meiosis is the exchange of chromosome pieces which
occurs in the first division of this process, called crossing over.
Reproduction Crossing over is a very important source of genetic variation
between individuals of sexually reproducing species, and the
driving force for the process of natural selection.
Bibliography