207k views
4 votes
A temperature-sensitive allele that causes the death of an organism only with exposure to a specific range of temperature is a(n) allele?

1) Dominant
2) Recessive
3) Lethal
4) Neutral

User Roshawn
by
8.6k points

1 Answer

5 votes

Final answer:

The allele that causes death of an organism when exposed to a specific temperature range is a dominant lethal allele. This is because it results in death whether one or two copies of the allele are present.

Step-by-step explanation:

The allele you are describing is known as a lethal allele. Lethal alleles can be either dominant or recessive. However, in the context of the question where the allele causes death only upon exposure to a specific temperature range, this sounds like a conditional form of a lethal allele. When considering the inheritance pattern described in the question, where the allele causes death when the organism is exposed to a particular temperature, irrespective of whether it's found in the homozygous or heterozygous state, it is most appropriately categorized as a dominant lethal allele.

An example of a dominant lethal allele in humans is Huntington's disease, where individuals with one copy of the mutated allele will develop the disease. Similarly, a temperature-sensitive allele that causes death at certain temperatures would also be dominant because it leads to death regardless of whether the individual has one or two copies of the allele.

User Eulerfx
by
8.1k points