Final answer:
The rapid evolution of the HIV population inside a human host to develop resistance to AZT is due to its high mutation rate and ability to adapt. Similarly, the evolution of antibiotic resistance in bacteria occurs when individuals with traits that allow them to withstand antibiotics increase in frequency.
Step-by-step explanation:
The rapid evolution of the HIV population inside a human host to develop resistance to the drug AZT can be explained by its ability to mutate quickly. HIV has a high mutation rate, allowing it to adapt and develop resistance to drugs. This is why HIV is typically treated with a combination of several antiretroviral drugs to minimize the chances of the virus evolving resistance to multiple drugs at the same time. A similar scenario explains the evolution of antibiotic resistance in a population of bacteria. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, individuals with alleles that allow them to survive the drug will increase in frequency, as they are the ones that can reproduce and pass down the resistance gene to offspring.
HIV has a high mutation rate, allowing it to adapt and develop resistance to drugs. This is why HIV is typically treated with a combination of several antiretroviral drugs to minimize the chances of the virus evolving resistance to multiple drugs at the same time. A similar scenario explains the evolution of antibiotic resistance in a population of bacteria. When bacteria are exposed to antibiotics, individuals with alleles that allow them to survive the drug will increase in frequency, as they are the ones that can reproduce and pass down the resistance gene to offspring. HIV has a high mutation rate, allowing it to adapt and develop resistance to drugs.