Practice question

Gene pool is total collection of alleles at every locus across all individuals in a population, representing complete genetic diversity available for inheritance. Each diploid individual contributes two alleles per autosomal gene, but population-level sum includes all variants – dominant, recessive, rare, common. Gene pool concept, introduced by Dobzhansky, frames evolution as change in allele frequencies over time rather than individual mutation alone. Size, heterozygosity, and polymorphism of gene pool influence adaptability, response to selection, and susceptibility to drift and inbreeding depression.