Tay- Sachs is inherited as an autosomal recessive allele.Homozygous individuals die within the first few years of life.However,there is some evidence that heterozygous individuals are more resistant to tuberculosis.Which of the following statements about Tay- Sachs is true?

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Heterozygote advantage occurs when the heterozygous genotype has a selective advantage over both the homozygous dominant and homozygous recessive genotypes. In this case, heterozygotes for Tay- Sachs may have an advantage in resisting tuberculosis, which could lead to the maintenance of the Tay- Sachs allele in the population through balancing selection. However, it is important to note that this advantage only applies in populations where tuberculosis is present – in the absence of tuberculosis, there would be no selective advantage to being a heterozygote for Tay- Sachs.

Tay- Sachs Is Inherited as an Autosomal Recessive Allele