What term describes the permanent movement of genes into or out of a population, leading to changes in allele frequencies?

The term that describes the permanent movement of genes into or out of a population is migration. Migration involves individuals moving from one population to another, carrying their genetic material with them. This can result in the introduction of new alleles into a population or the loss of alleles when individuals leave. The effect of migration is significant because it can alter allele frequencies, influencing the genetic diversity of populations and potentially affecting their evolutionary trajectories.

In contrast, mutation refers to random changes in the DNA sequence that can introduce new genetic variations within a population but does not involve movement between populations. Genetic drift refers to random fluctuations in allele frequencies, particularly in small populations, due to chance events rather than systematic movement of genes. Natural selection involves the differential survival and reproduction of individuals based on their traits but does not explicitly pertain to the movement of genes between populations.