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Which of the following is not an example of a wild-type allele?

a) Yellow-flowered elderflower orchid

b) Red-flowered elderflower orchid

c) A gray elephant

d) An albino (white) elephant

User Narissa
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Final answer:

The albino (white) elephant is not an example of a wild-type allele, as wild-type alleles represent the typical form found in nature, and albino characteristics are due to mutations.

Step-by-step explanation:

In genetics, a wild-type allele is typically considered the normal or most common allele found in a population for a certain gene. When considering which of the following is not an example of a wild-type allele, we can refer to the explanation of coat color in rabbits. The wild-type version, C+ C+, is brown fur, while the others show variations from this norm due to different alleles.

Therefore, in this context, when we compare the options given: yellow-flowered and red-flowered elderflower orchids, a gray elephant, and an albino elephant, the albino, or white elephant, which is analogous to the albino phenotype in rabbits (cc), would not be the wild-type allele. The wild-type phenotype in elephants would be gray, similar to brown fur in rabbits, since that is the most common form and not the result of a mutant allele.

User Adrian Enriquez
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