Question
A mutation in the hemoglobin gene causes sickle-cell hemoglobin. People with sickle-cell hemoglobin are immune to malaria. If a population is exposed to malaria, how will the frequency of the mutated sickle-cell hemoglobin change?
A
The frequency will increase because people with the sickle-cell hemoglobin will not die from malaria.
B
The frequency will decrease because all mutations are harmful, thus people with the mutation will die.
C
The frequency will decrease because people with the sickle-cell hemoglobin will die because the protein no longer works.
D
The frequency will not change because people get one copy of each gene from mom and one from dad, thus the mutation will not have an affect.
A
The frequency will increase because people with the sickle-cell hemoglobin will not die from malaria.
B
The frequency will decrease because all mutations are harmful, thus people with the mutation will die.
C
The frequency will decrease because people with the sickle-cell hemoglobin will die because the protein no longer works.
D
The frequency will not change because people get one copy of each gene from mom and one from dad, thus the mutation will not have an affect.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The correct answer is **A**. The frequency will increase because people with the sickle-cell hemoglobin will not die from malaria.
Here's the reasoning: Individuals who are heterozygous for the sickle-cell trait (carrying one normal hemoglobin gene and one sickle-cell hemoglobin gene) have some protection against malaria, while homozygous individuals (having two sickle-cell genes) can suffer from other health issues. In a population exposed to malaria, the selective advantage provided by the mutation in the hemoglobin gene (sickle-cell hemoglobin) will lead to an increased frequency of this mutation over generations due to natural selection.
Here's the reasoning: Individuals who are heterozygous for the sickle-cell trait (carrying one normal hemoglobin gene and one sickle-cell hemoglobin gene) have some protection against malaria, while homozygous individuals (having two sickle-cell genes) can suffer from other health issues. In a population exposed to malaria, the selective advantage provided by the mutation in the hemoglobin gene (sickle-cell hemoglobin) will lead to an increased frequency of this mutation over generations due to natural selection.