What Role Does Variation Play In Human Survival

Variation plays a vital role in human survival. Variation occurs in the process of meiosis. Meiosis is the process in which human sex cells, called gametes, are produced. Meiosis starts with a parent cell, called a diploid, replicating its DNA. After the DNA is replicated, the chromosomes line up in the middle of the cell where each pair touches each other and genetic information from the alleles are shuffled and exchanged, a process called crossing-over. The crossing-over over of chromosomes results in what is called recombination, where genetic information from the maternal chromosome (chromosome from the mother) is now on the paternal chromosome (chromosome from the father) or vice versa. Crossing-over and recombination is what causes genetic variation, reshuffling of the chromosomes and then exchanging genetic information. After the chromosomes are lined up and genetic information is exchanged, the parent cell then splits into two identical daughter cells. The two daughter cells have 23 sets of chromosomes, totaling to 46 chromosomes in all, which is the same amount of chromosomes as the parent cell. Unlike the parent cells, the daughter cells do not
The color of the peppered moths vary. Some peppered moths were born “peppered”, being all white with black speckles, and some are born completely black. The peppered moths potentially would have been wiped out during the Industrial Revolution, when the pollution in the air caused the trees to turn black and it was hard for the white speckled moths to blend into the trees. (Larsen, 2008) The black peppered moths were able to blend into the darkened tress, making it easy to camouflage themselves against being eaten by birds. Variation amongst the peppered moths saved them from being non-existent. This shows how variation is important amongst humans as well, all being born different with different traits that can or cannot be advantageous. (Larsen,