Skip to content
MathsGenie logo
Open app

Course home

  1. A Level
  2. Biology AQA
  3. Question bank

Genetic diversity can arise as a result of mutation or during meiosis

EasyMedium
12
Question 1

Geneticists investigated the occurrence of chromosomal non-disjunction during microsporogenesis (pollen formation) in two different strains of Arabidopsis thaliana: Strain X and Strain Y.

The total number of non-disjunction errors recorded in each strain was:

  • Strain X: 480 errors
  • Strain Y: 850 errors

The table below shows the percentage of these errors that occurred in the first meiotic division (MIMIMI) and the second meiotic division (MIIMIIMII).

StrainTotal errorsPercentage of errors in MIMIMI (%)Percentage of errors in MIIMIIMII (%)
Strain X4808020
Strain Y8504258

A researcher concluded that there were more errors in MIMIMI in Strain Y than in Strain X because Strain Y had a significantly larger total number of recorded errors.

Using the data in the table and suitable calculations, show why this conclusion is not valid.

[3]

Genetic diversity can arise as a result of mutation or during meiosis Questions

  1. A Level
  2. /Biology
  3. /Genetic diversity can arise as a result of mutation or during meiosis