Biodiversity is perceived as the most complex feature of our planet yet the most vital in that it sustains life

and allows a variety of life forms to flourish.

Biodiversity is the variety of life on Earth at all its levels, from genes to ecosystems, and the ecological and
evolutionary processes that sustain it. In other words, biodiversity includes not only the variety of different
species but also the difference between individuals of the same species and between ecosystems.
Moreover, the biodiversity that we currently observe is the result of billions of years of evolution, shaped by
natural processes and, increasingly, by human activity.

As biodiversity is a very broad term, this concept is usually explored at three levels --- genetic, species, and
ecosystem diversity. These levels are all interrelated yet distinct enough that they can be studied as three
separate components.

Biodiversity can be observed through the lens of the first level: genetic diversity. The genetic diversity of a
species defines how closely related its individuals are in a given ecosystem in terms of the hereditary
material present in them. These hereditary units, called genes, found in the individuals of each species are
responsible for the expression of the distinguishing traits thus they determine the similarities and
differences across various organisms.

In other words, diversity on a genetic level is the variation in the genetic composition among individuals
of a species, population, or community. These variations can evolve as a result of many different
processes, such as mutations, sexual reproduction, and physical or behavioral isolation of
populations.

Mutations - occur primarily as a result of gene and chromosomal replacement or modification. Mutations
can result in the emergence of new alleles, altering the genetic structure of a population..
Sexual reproduction - sexually reproducing organisms have more chances to produce different mutations
from various combinations of parental genes, resulting in an increased genetic diversity.
Physical/behavioral isolation - physical or behavioral isolation increases the chances of random genetic
drift or the change in the frequency of a certain allele within a population from one generation to another. It
impacts genetic diversity by preserving certain alleles while eliminating others, because changes in allele
frequencies can result in more significant differences across populations.

Allele variation influences the organism's adaptability, physiological development, and capacity to survive
and reproduce under a variety of environmental circumstances.

Example: In human populations, we have varying eye colors, hair color, skin color, height, etc. The
variations are the work of the different alleles in our genes that we inherit from our parents.

Types of Genetic Variation

Meanwhile, genetic diversity may be further classified into two. INTRAPOPULATIONAL GENETIC
DIVERSITY is the amount of variation within members of a species in the same area. This occurs between
individuals within the population that are genetically different. Variability is also present among different
populations of the same species and the amount of variation between these two or more populations is
called interpopulational diversity