Q51.4-2CC - Campbell Biology

Question

Suppose an individual organism aids the survival and reproductive success of the offspring of its sibling. How might this behavior result in indirect selection for certain genes carried by that individual?

Step-by-Step Solution

Answer

The indirect selection occurs in the genes carried by the individuals; the same genes are shared among the individual and their sibling's offspring.

Step 1: Gene

The term gene represents the heredity's functional unit found on a thread-like nucleic acid structure, such as chromosome, and passed on from mother and father to their child during cell division.

Some of the functions of genes include instructing the cell to synthesize protein, translation, eukaryotic transcription, and eukaryotic gene expression. The house-keeping, structural, non-consecutive, processed, and overlapping genes are distinct kinds of genes. 

The three different instructions that gene provides to cells are organisms' appearance, survival, and behavior in response to the environment.

Step 2: Sibling

In genetics, the species that look alike due to their birth from common parents and are closely related to each other are called siblings.

Some of the traits that are common in siblings (human beings) are 50% similar genes, shared interest, mannerism, and sense of humor. 

Step 3: Sharing of genes between siblings

In the case of human beings, the genes of an individual are closely related to the offspring of their sibling. This behavior of genes results in indirect selection (link between two characters, one changes due to evolution and other influenced due to natural selection).

Siblings' reproductive success (the individual successfully produces offspring) increases the genotypic presentation within the population.