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How does inbreeding negatively impact a population?

Correct answer: D. Both B and C

  • A. The frequency of alleles does not change within the population
  • B. It reduces the number of heterozygous individuals, preventing beneficial alleles from being efficiently selected
  • C. It increases the number of homozygous individuals, allowing potentially harmful recessive alleles to express themselves more frequently
  • D. Both B and C

Explanation

The correct option is that inbreeding increases the number of homozygous individuals, allowing harmful recessive alleles to express themselves more frequently. This leads to inbreeding depression, where the population's overall health, fertility, and survival are reduced. Another statement-that inbreeding reduces the number of heterozygous individuals-is partially correct but not the main cause of harm. The incorrect option is the one claiming that inbreeding does not change allele frequencies and that this lack of change is detrimental; while allele frequencies often remain the same, the negative effects of inbreeding come from increased homozygosity and reduced genetic variation, not from static allele frequencies.

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Evolution describes heritable change in populations over generations through variation, natural selection and adaptation. Lamarckism explains inheritance of acquired characteristics, while Darwinism explains selection of favourable inherited variations; these historical explanations must not be confused with the modern genetic account of evolutionary change.

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