Discuss issues related to genetic diversity: mutations, sexual reproduction, migration, and population size. Genetic Diversity: Genetic diversity is defined as the genetic diversity or variability within species. Each species has genes that are the source of its unique characteristics. In humans, for example, the genetic individuality of each person is reflected in the enormous variety of people's faces. The term genetic diversity also involves distinct populations of the same species, for example the thousands of different breeds of dogs or cats or the numerous varieties of mangoes. The significance of genetic diversity is important as it helps maintain the gene pool. The ability of an individual or an entire population to tolerate stress resulting from a given environmental factor is defined by the enormous variety of gene sets. Genetic diversity and mutation: Mutations are defined as changes in the genetic sequence. Mutations are the main cause of diversity among organisms. Because these changes occur at many different levels and can cause very different consequences. In order for mutations to affect an organism's descendants, these mutations must: 1) occur in the cells that produce the next generation, and 2) these changes should also affect hereditary material. Finally, interactions between environmental pressures and heritable mutations generate diversity among species. A single mutation can cause a large effect. The basis of genetic diversity is the accumulation of many mutations with small effects. These mutational effects can be harmful, beneficial, or neutral, depending on their location or context. Non-neutral mutations are usually deleterious. In fact, the more base pairs that are affected by a mutation will cause... half of the paper... crossover. Random forces usually lead to genetic drift. It is possible for there to be random fluctuations in the number of alleles in a population. Genetic drift is defined as these changes in relative allele frequency that can randomly increase or decrease over time. Migration is the movement of organisms from one place to another, migration when used in a population genetics context often refers to the movement of individuals into or out of a defined population. A sudden influx of alleles is provided when migratory individuals stay and mate with destination individuals. After mating has been established between the migratory individuals and the destination individuals, the migratory individuals contribute different types of gametes carrying alleles that can alter the existing proportion of alleles in the destination population.