A deleterious recessive allele is selected against. Why does its frequency NOT drop to zero in a real population?
- A
Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium prevents allele loss
- B
Selection cannot remove recessive alleles at all
- Ccheck_circle
Mutation generates new copies, balancing removal by selection (mutation-selection balance)
- D
Recessive alleles convert to dominant alleles
Explanation
Mutation-selection balance: deleterious recessive alleles are continually generated by mutation, replenishing what selection removes. The equilibrium frequency is approximately q = sqrt(mu/s).