Levels Affected By Natural Selection

Natural Selection affects all the levels of taxonomic hierarchy from genes to groups of distantly related individuals. In order for this to occur, natural selection must produce adaptations that can be passed down through generations. Heritability, the phenotypic variance accounted for by genetics effects, must also be present (Latta, 2010). The levels of organization are bound together. Therefore, if one level has benefited by an adaptation caused by natural selection, then latter levels will also benefit. Each level is affected differently. Some levels are affected frequently while others may be affected very little. The levels which are affected will also depend on the particular adaptation that was caused by the process of natural selection (Ridley, 1997). This essay will explain how natural selection
Cells are smallest structural and functional unit of living organisms that can replicate independently are typically microscopic. It is noted that genes do not code for the construction of cells. Cells must be inherited alongside the genes from the parent. Because cells are inherited and are not constructed by genes, genes have to instead manipulate the behavior of the cells in order to cause changes. Genes do the work inside the cell (Johnson et al, 2010). However, cellular selection is rarely affected by the adaptations caused by natural selection because the majority of an organism’s cells are somatic cells. Thus, any adaptations that do occur are usually not passed down through generations with most cells dying when the host dies (Ridley, 1997). Another reason that adaptations are not usually passed down at the cellular level is that the mechanisms of cells are extremely complex and are completely independent from the influence of DNA, even though DNA acts as the cells’ storage device (Johnson et al,