Inbreeding depression

Definition

Inbreeding depression is the reduced biological fitness in a population due to inbreeding, or breeding between closely related individuals. It results from an increase in the frequency of homozygosity for deleterious alleles.

5 Must Know Facts For Your Next Test

1. Inbreeding depression often leads to a higher incidence of genetic disorders and decreased survival rates.
2. The primary cause of inbreeding depression is the increased expression of recessive deleterious alleles.
3. Populations with low genetic diversity are more susceptible to inbreeding depression.
4. Inbreeding depression can affect traits such as fertility, growth rate, and resistance to disease.
5. Conservation biology often seeks to minimize inbreeding depression by promoting genetic diversity.

Review Questions

• What is the primary genetic cause of inbreeding depression?
• How does inbreeding depression impact the overall fitness of a population?
• Why are populations with low genetic diversity more at risk for inbreeding depression?

Related terms

Genetic Drift: A mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in the frequency of alleles within a population.

Homozygosity: The state of having identical alleles at one or more loci on homologous chromosomes.

Gene Flow: The transfer of genetic material between separate populations which can reduce differences between those populations.