Which of the following is true regarding a balanced polymorphism?
A) The frequency of alleles is not changing over time
B) The homozygous condition for the alleles is not advantageous to the organism
C) An example in humans is sickle-cell anemia
D) All of the answers are correct

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Balanced polymorphism is a situation where multiple alleles in a population are maintained at stable frequencies because the heterozygous condition provides a selective advantage, often in the context of a specific environmental challenge. This leads to the alleles not changing significantly over time (A), the homozygous conditions often being less advantageous or even disadvantageous (B), and sickle-cell anemia is indeed a classic example where carriers of one sickle-cell allele are protected against malaria, illustrating this concept (C).

Which of the Following Is True Regarding a Balanced Polymorphism