Question

question 1-14
a virus begins spreading through a population of wild mice. scientists notice that some mice become sick quickly, while others are unaffected. genetic testing shows that the unaffected mice have unique combinations of alleles not found in the more vulnerable mice.
which of the following best explains how genetic recombination may have helped some mice survive the virus?
a created new allele combinations, increasing the chance that some offspring survive the virus.
b prevented harmful selection by ensuring the same traits in every generation
c ensured all mice in the population had identical immune responses to fight the virus.
d caused the virus to mutate, making it less effective against certain mice.

Explanation:

To determine how genetic recombination helped some mice survive the virus, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Genetic recombination creates new allele combinations. These new combinations can introduce genetic variations that might increase the survival chance of offspring against the virus. This aligns with the concept of genetic recombination generating diversity that aids survival.
• Option B: Genetic recombination does not ensure the same traits in every generation; instead, it increases genetic variation, so this is incorrect.
• Option C: Genetic recombination itself doesn't directly make mice have identical immune responses. Immune responses are influenced by multiple factors, and recombination introduces variation, not uniformity, so this is wrong.
• Option D: Genetic recombination doesn't "control the virus to mutate" to be less effective. Mutation is a random process, and recombination affects the host's genetics, not the virus's mutation direction in this context, so this is incorrect.

Answer:

A. Created new allele combinations, increasing the chance that some offspring survive the virus.