What is Genetic Drift?

[Harbringer]

Ive looked online and cant seem to find a simplified answer that doesnt contradict a complex one. To my figuring, genetic drift is when a random mutation occurs in the offspring of an individual and that offspring survives not because he has adapted but just because of dumb luck, therefor increasing the allele frequency for that trait to appear in his offspring. And to my knowledge, the allele frequency being the chance that an offspring will have a certain phenotype.

 

[Perfection]

Can you provide an example of such a contradiction?

 

[Harbringer]

Dude, Perfy, since you answered Ive already understood the concept, have moved onto the structure of nucleic acids and genes and how they are interrelated, wrote a hypothesis on why abortion is immoral that spiraled off into a huge paper on the intrinsic value of life and have a new found respect for my dog overall, I'll be sleeping downstairs tonight to keep her company, shes caged in by my crazy father pretty much. It was a simple misunderstanding of the concept I was having, I was being to narrow minded with my definition of it trying to categorize it by its consequences rather then its mechanics. All is well now, but thank you for the help anyway.

 

[Perfection]

have moved onto the structure of nucleic acids and genes and how they are interrelated, wrote a hypothesis on why abortion is immoral that spiraled off into a huge paper on the intrinsic value of life and have a new found respect for my dog overall,

Dude, you can't just leave it like that! What are you newfound views, and why do you hold them?

 

[Gooblah]

Ive looked online and cant seem to find a simplified answer that doesnt contradict a complex one. To my figuring, genetic drift is when a random mutation occurs in the offspring of an individual and that offspring survives not because he has adapted but just because of dumb luck, therefor increasing the allele frequency for that trait to appear in his offspring. And to my knowledge, the allele frequency being the chance that an offspring will have a certain phenotype.

Um..genetic drift is the movement of alleles from one population to another; this can occur through mutation (rare) or individual movement (common). For example, a robin migrating south with his flock, then joining a flock heading elsewhere in the summer has his alleles genetically drift.

 

[LightFang]

Genetic drift = changes in the gene frequency due to chance.

C'est simple comme bonjour!

 

[Eran of Arcadia]

Um..genetic drift is the movement of alleles from one population to another; this can occur through mutation (rare) or individual movement (common). For example, a robin migrating south with his flock, then joining a flock heading elsewhere in the summer has his alleles genetically drift.

I have never heard that definition before; they all referred to movement of alleles within populations.

 

[Disenfrancised]

I have never heard that definition before; they all referred to movement of alleles within populations.

That might be because its not a correct/badly worded one? Genetic drift simply put is the accumulation of random selection-neutral mutations in a population. Its very common, and as a mechanism hasn't really anything to do with population mixing.

 

[LightFang]

I have never heard that definition before; they all referred to movement of alleles within populations.

He is probably confusing it with the concept of gene flow.

 

[Luckymoose]

Genetic drift = changes in the gene frequency due to chance.

C'est simple comme bonjour!

Wouldn't that be allele frequency? I mean, if you want to word it right.

 

[Harbringer]

Allele frequency is the chance of genetic change.....

 

[LightFang]

Wouldn't that be allele frequency? I mean, if you want to word it right.

http://www.answers.com/topic/allele-frequency

Dictionary:
gene frequency

n.

The frequency of occurrence of an allele in relation to that of other alleles of the same gene in a population.

I probably should have said allele frequency, but I didn't.

 

[Gooblah]

He is probably confusing it with the concept of gene flow.

Aha! never mind, now i feel stupid.

I forgot all my Biology after the AP Exam...