Question

Existence of deleterious genes in a population is called:

• A. Gene flow
• B. Genetic drift
• C. Genetic load
• D. Sewall Wright effect

Hint:

Genetic load can result from mutations or the persistence of deleterious alleles in a population, leading to reduced overall fitness.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: The presence of deleterious genes in a population, which may lower the fitness of individuals carrying them, is referred to as genetic load. It represents the burden of carrying harmful alleles in the gene pool of a population.
Step 2: Gene flow refers to the transfer of genetic material between different populations, while genetic drift is the random change in allele frequencies due to chance events, neither of which directly addresses the concept of harmful genes in a population.
Step 3: The Sewall Wright effect is a phenomenon where genetic variation in small populations changes due to random mating patterns and genetic drift, but it does not specifically relate to deleterious genes.
Thus, the correct answer is Genetic load.