Asked by Tiffany Wisham on Jun 18, 2024

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Which statement best describes antagonistic pleiotropy?

A) Certain diseases have low frequencies in young people, but the frequencies increase as people age.
B) There are many genes that work together to control aging and thus many opportunities for mutations.
C) Some diseases have low frequencies in geographic populations with high frequencies of certain mutations.
D) Mutations contributing to aging can increase in frequency if those same mutations promote fitness earlier in life.

Antagonistic Pleiotropy

A genetic trait that confers a benefit to an organism in one context but may be detrimental in another.

Mutations

Changes in the nucleotide sequence of an organism’s DNA, leading to genetic diversity and can cause new genes and alleles to arise.

Fitness

The genetic contribution of an individual to the next generation's gene pool, often measured by the individual's reproductive success.

  • Comprehend the impact of genetic mutations on disease and aging through concepts like antagonistic pleiotropy.
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MC
Mackayla ChenaultJun 22, 2024
Final Answer :
D
Explanation :
Antagonistic pleiotropy refers to the concept where a single gene controls for more than one trait, where at least one of these traits is beneficial to the organism's fitness early in life but detrimental later in life, thus explaining how mutations that contribute to aging can increase in frequency if they enhance fitness in the organism's youth.