Lesson 8 of 8
Biodiversity and gene banks
Goal: Explain why biodiversity matters and how it is preserved.
Biodiversity is the variety of living things. A gene bank keeps genetic material safe, so that it is not lost for ever.
- Count the species. One way to measure the biodiversity of a place is to count how many different species live there. The variation inside each species counts too.
- It matters because species depend on each other for food, shelter and pollination. Where there are many species, there are resources for other populations, including humans: food, medicines and materials.
- A gene bank stores seeds, eggs, sperm or small pieces of tissue, dried or frozen. The genes are kept safe. If a species or a variety of crop dies out, it may be possible to grow or breed it again.
- Other ways to protect biodiversity: nature reserves that protect habitats, and breeding rare animals in zoos.
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Key words in this lesson
Variation The differences between living things
Species A group of living things that can breed together to produce fertile offspring
Gene A section of DNA that controls an inherited feature
Biodiversity The variety of living things in a place
Gene bank A store of seeds, cells or other genetic material