Together, all of the alleles contained within a group of interbreeding individuals is known as a:

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

A gene pool is defined as the total of all the alleles of all the genes in a population of interbreeding organisms. It represents the genetic diversity of a population, which is an important factor in the process of evolution. Option B (population) is incorrect as it refers to a group of individuals of the same species that live in the same geographic area and can interbreed with each other. Option C (clinal distribution) refers to a gradual change in the frequency of a trait or allele across a geographic gradient, and not the collection of alleles within a population. Option D (polymorphism) refers to the presence of multiple forms (or alleles) of a gene within a population or species. While the term is related to genetic diversity, it does not encompass the entirety of the gene pool.

Together, All of the Alleles Contained Within a Group of Interbreeding