Use the following information to answer the following questions.
Malaria is an infectious disease caused by a unicellular eukaryotic organism belonging to the genus Plasmodium.These eukaryotic organisms are transmitted from one person to another by the female Anopheles mosquito when it feeds on human blood.Within humans,the Plasmodium species destroy red blood cells and,without effective treatment,serious infections can lead to death.Currently,more than 400 million people are afflicted with malaria and between 1 and 3 million people die from it each year.Historically,a chemical compound called quinine has been used in developing effective drugs against malaria.In its natural environment,quinine is produced by certain trees native to South America.This chemical is synthesized in the outer layer of tree trunks and acts as an herbivore deterrent.
-Despite being used for many years,quinine-based drugs have not led to the eradication of malaria and currently there are parasites that are resistant to the compound.Which of the following were likely important in the development of this resistance to quinine?
A)natural selection
B)mutualism
C)interspecific competition
D)biological magnification

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Natural selection is the process by which organisms that are better adapted to their environment are more likely to survive and reproduce, passing on their advantageous traits to their offspring. In the case of malaria parasites exposed to quinine-based drugs, those that had mutations or variations that allowed them to survive and reproduce in the presence of the drug would be more likely to pass on those traits to their offspring, leading to the development of resistance over time. Mutualism, interspecific competition, and biological magnification are not directly linked to the development of resistance to quinine.

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