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Multiple Choice
In what situation might natural selection maintain a recessive allele even if it is harmful?
A
When the recessive allele provides a survival advantage in heterozygous individuals.
B
When the recessive allele is linked to a dominant beneficial trait.
C
When the recessive allele is beneficial in homozygous recessive individuals.
D
When the recessive allele is always expressed in the phenotype.
Verified step by step guidance
1
Understand the concept of natural selection: Natural selection is a process where organisms better adapted to their environment tend to survive and produce more offspring. It can maintain alleles in a population if they provide some advantage.
Consider heterozygous advantage: A recessive allele might be maintained if it provides a survival advantage in heterozygous individuals. This means that individuals with one copy of the recessive allele and one copy of the dominant allele have a higher fitness than those with two dominant alleles.
Explore linkage to beneficial traits: Sometimes, a recessive allele might be linked to a dominant beneficial trait. This means that the recessive allele is inherited along with a trait that provides a survival advantage, thus maintaining the allele in the population.
Evaluate benefits in homozygous recessive individuals: Although rare, a recessive allele might be beneficial in homozygous recessive individuals under certain environmental conditions, which can lead to its maintenance in the population.
Clarify expression in phenotype: Typically, recessive alleles are not expressed in the phenotype unless an individual is homozygous recessive. However, if a recessive allele is always expressed, it would not be considered recessive in the traditional sense.