Question

a population of bacterium thermus lives in a pool that experiences high seasonal fluctuations: the water is cold and calm by night months, but for two months, it becomes extremely hot, polluted, and turbulent. the bacterium can reproduce either asexually (binary fission) or sexually (conjugation) but contains the same gene for ability to sense its school neighborhood to collect for the long term survival and predominance of the species in this variable environment?

a. asexual reproduction is faster than sexual fission, allowing the thermus to rapidly increase their population size before the hot, polluted season arrives.

b. sexual reproduction reduces the amount of dna passed to offspring, minimizing the energetic cost of reproduction during stressful periods.

c. sexual reproduction generates a high degree of genetic variation, which increases the likelihood that some offspring will be born with the necessary trait combinations to survive the novel, harsh summer conditions.

d. asexual reproduction is guaranteed to pass on the parents’ successful traits, which is the most efficient way to survive any environmental change.

Explanation:

Answer:

C. Sexual reproduction generates a high degree of genetic variation, which increases the likelihood that some offspring will have the necessary trait combinations to survive the novel, harsh conditions.