Question
What will happen to a lethal allele in a population's gene pool if it is recessive?
Responses
It will be weeded out of the gene pool over time.
It will be weeded out of the gene pool over time.
It will persist in the gene pool in heterozygous individuals.
It will persist in the gene pool in heterozygous individuals.
It will become the dominant allele in the gene pool.
It will become the dominant allele in the gene pool.
It will eventually kill all individuals in a population.
Responses
It will be weeded out of the gene pool over time.
It will be weeded out of the gene pool over time.
It will persist in the gene pool in heterozygous individuals.
It will persist in the gene pool in heterozygous individuals.
It will become the dominant allele in the gene pool.
It will become the dominant allele in the gene pool.
It will eventually kill all individuals in a population.
Answers
GPT-4o mini
If an allele is lethal and recessive, it will typically persist in the gene pool in heterozygous individuals. This is because heterozygous individuals (carriers of the recessive allele) do not express the lethal phenotype and can reproduce, passing on the lethal allele to their offspring.
Thus, the correct response is:
**It will persist in the gene pool in heterozygous individuals.**
Over time, the lethal allele may be weeded out of the population once enough homozygous recessive individuals (which are affected by the lethal allele) are born and cannot survive to reproduce. But as long as there are heterozygous carriers, the allele can remain present in the population.
Thus, the correct response is:
**It will persist in the gene pool in heterozygous individuals.**
Over time, the lethal allele may be weeded out of the population once enough homozygous recessive individuals (which are affected by the lethal allele) are born and cannot survive to reproduce. But as long as there are heterozygous carriers, the allele can remain present in the population.