Question
Which individual is most likely to allow a recessive lethal gene to be kept in a population over several generations?
Responses
heterozygous
heterozygous
homozygous recessive
homozygous recessive
homozygous dominant
Responses
heterozygous
heterozygous
homozygous recessive
homozygous recessive
homozygous dominant
Answers
GPT-4o mini
The individual most likely to allow a recessive lethal gene to be kept in a population over several generations is the **heterozygous** individual.
This is because a heterozygous individual (having one dominant allele and one recessive allele) does not express the lethal phenotype associated with the recessive gene and can survive and reproduce. In contrast, homozygous recessive individuals would express the lethal phenotype and typically do not survive to reproduce, thus reducing the frequency of the recessive allele in the population. Homozygous dominant individuals do not carry the recessive allele at all. Hence, heterozygous individuals are key to maintaining the allele in the gene pool.
This is because a heterozygous individual (having one dominant allele and one recessive allele) does not express the lethal phenotype associated with the recessive gene and can survive and reproduce. In contrast, homozygous recessive individuals would express the lethal phenotype and typically do not survive to reproduce, thus reducing the frequency of the recessive allele in the population. Homozygous dominant individuals do not carry the recessive allele at all. Hence, heterozygous individuals are key to maintaining the allele in the gene pool.