Question

When observing the ABO blood type, what are the alleles in a population and how many can a person carry at a time?

A) There are two alleles in the population, and a person can carry both simultaneously.
B) There are four alleles in the population, and a person can carry all four simultaneously.
C) There are three alleles in the population, and a person can carry two at a time.
D) There is only one allele in the population, and a person can carry one at a time.

Answer 1

In the ABO blood type system, there are three alleles: IA, IB, and i. A person can carry two alleles at a time, either two different alleles or two of the same allele. The correct answer is A) There are two alleles in the population, and a person can carry both simultaneously.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the ABO blood type system, there are three alleles present in the population. These alleles are IA, IB, and i. The IA allele codes for A molecules on red blood cells, the IB allele codes for B molecules on red blood cells, and the i allele codes for no molecules on red blood cells.

Each individual can only carry two alleles from their parents. This means that a person can have two different alleles (IA and IB), or two of the same allele (IA and IA or IB and IB), or a combination of two different alleles with a recessive allele (IA and i or IB and i).

Therefore, the correct answer is A) There are two alleles in the population, and a person can carry both simultaneously.