Question

A student claims that a population that reproduces asexually will be better able to survive in an environment in which a disease has been introduced. Which statement best evaluates the student's claim?

A.
The student's claim is incorrect because the population would grow too slowly to replace organisms that have died from the disease due to a genetic vulnerability.


B.
The student's claim is correct because the population would be genetically diverse, allowing many of the organisms to create immune defenses against the disease.


C.
The student's claim is correct because the population size would be very large, allowing a larger percentage of organisms to establish immunity against the disease.


D.
The student's claim is incorrect because the population would be genetically identical, increasing vulnerability to the disease to such a degree that they may face extinction.

Answer 1

D

Step-by-step explanation:

A student claims that a population that reproduces asexually will be better able to survive in an environment in which a disease has been introduced

the case of a disease being introduced into the environment, a genetically identical population would have little genetic diversity. This lack of genetic diversity can be detrimental because if one individual is susceptible to the disease, there is a high chance that the entire population will be vulnerable. With no genetic variation, there is a higher risk of the disease spreading rapidly and affecting a large number of individuals..