The recessive allele that causes sickle cell anemia is harmful to homozygous individuals. What maintains the presence of this allele in a population's gene pool?
A) heterozygote advantage
B) stabilizing selection
C) diploidy
D) balancing selection

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Heterozygote advantage occurs when heterozygous individuals have an advantage over both homozygotes, and this can maintain the presence of a harmful recessive allele in a population. In the case of sickle cell anemia, heterozygous individuals have an advantage over homozygous individuals, as they have some resistance to malaria. Therefore, the sickle cell allele is maintained in areas where malaria is prevalent.

The Recessive Allele That Causes Sickle Cell Anemia Is Harmful