Final answer:
Recombination in sexually reproducing organisms reverses the effect of Muller's ratchet by introducing new combinations of genes and increasing genetic diversity in the population.
Step-by-step explanation:
In sexually reproducing organisms, recombination during meiosis helps to reverse the effect of Muller's ratchet. Muller's ratchet refers to the accumulation of deleterious mutations in a population over time, resulting in the gradual loss of fitness.
Recombination introduces new combinations of genes into the population, which can help to remove or reduce the negative effects of these mutations.
During recombination, homologous chromosomes exchange genetic material through the process of crossing over. This creates new combinations of alleles, increasing genetic diversity in the population.
If a deleterious mutation occurs on one chromosome, there is a chance that crossing over may result in a recombined chromosome without the mutation, thus reversing the effect of Muller's ratchet.