How is antigenic drift beneficial for viruses?
It changes how genes code for antigens.
It leads to less mRNA which is easier to copy.
It creates a variety of immune responses in the host organisms.
It makes them unrecognizable to the immune system.
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Antigenic drift is beneficial for viruses because it allows them to continuously evolve and adapt to evade the immune system of their host organisms. By constantly changing the genes that code for antigens, viruses can become unrecognizable to the immune system, making it harder for the host to mount an effective immune response. This helps the virus to persist and spread more easily within a population. Additionally, antigenic drift can create a variety of immune responses in the host, which can lead to decreased effectiveness of vaccines and antiviral drugs.
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