What is genetic drift?

Genetic drift refers specifically to the changes in allele frequencies within a population that occur due to random sampling processes. This concept is particularly significant in small populations, where chance events can lead to stark changes in genetic makeup over generations. For example, if a random event causes a few individuals with certain alleles to die, those alleles may become less common or even be lost from the population entirely, irrespective of their adaptive value.

In contrast, options regarding geographical distribution, artificial selection, or mechanisms of photosynthesis do not pertain to genetic drift. Geographical distribution deals with the spatial arrangement of populations, artificial selection involves human intervention in breeding practices, and photosynthesis is a biological process that converts light energy into chemical energy in plants. Therefore, the correct understanding of genetic drift focuses on the stochastic nature of allele frequency changes due to random sampling rather than these other biological concepts.