Asked by Hannah Snyder on May 12, 2024

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What is heterozygote advantage? Identify and briefly explain one example of this.

Heterozygote Advantage

A genetic phenomenon where individuals with two different alleles of a particular gene (heterozygotes) have a greater fitness than individuals with two identical alleles (homozygotes).

  • Master the concepts that contribute to changes in allele frequencies, including genetic drift, gene flow, mutation, and natural selection.
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galaxy fanfanMay 16, 2024
Final Answer :
Heterozygote advantage occurs when the heterozygote genotype has greater fitness in that environment. An individual who is heterozygous for sickle cell has an advantage in areas where malaria is endemic because the heterozygote is more resistant to malarial infection than the individual carrying two normal hemoglobin genes.