What term describes the movement of individuals and their genes between populations?

• A. Gene flow
• B. Genetic drift
• C. Mutation
• D. Speciation

Answer: (A)

Movement of individuals between populations brings their genes with them, changing allele frequencies in both places. This process is gene flow. It tends to increase genetic variation within a population by introducing new alleles, while reducing differences between populations by making them more genetically similar. It can occur through migrations, pollen dispersal, seed dispersal, or human-assisted movement of organisms.

Genetic drift involves random changes in allele frequencies within a population and is especially pronounced in small populations, not about gene movement between populations. Mutation creates new alleles within a population rather than moving existing ones between populations. Speciation is the formation of two or more distinct species from a single ancestral species, a long-term outcome that goes beyond the movement of genes.