Question

The chief of staff at the hospital asks if it is possible this fungal pathogen is related to the tropical fungus the disease specialist, your colleague, at the BC CDC mentioned. The disease specialist answers the question by stating that it is possible and explain that although the tropical fungus species may have been transported to Vancouver Island years earlier, it may not caused any illness until now because the tropical fungus may not have been able to cause an infection due to being in a different environment that it was adapted to. However, through the process of natural selection acting on mutations, the original fungus could have evolved adaptations enabling it to successfully infect individuals in this new environment. Do you think the disease specialist's explanation is plausible based on what you know about evolution by natural selection?

Answer 1

Step-by-step explanation:

Yes, the disease specialist's explanation is plausible based on what we know about evolution by natural selection. Let me break it down for you in simpler terms.

The disease specialist is suggesting that the tropical fungus mentioned by your colleague might be related to the fungal pathogen causing the illness at the hospital. They explain that even though the tropical fungus may have been brought to Vancouver Island some time ago, it might not have caused any illness until now. This could be because the tropical fungus was originally adapted to a different environment and couldn't infect people in the new environment of Vancouver Island.

Now, here's where evolution by natural selection comes into play. Over time, organisms can undergo changes in their traits and abilities through a process called natural selection. Mutations, which are changes in the genetic material of organisms, can happen randomly. If a mutation occurs in the tropical fungus that enables it to infect individuals in the Vancouver Island environment, it could be favored by natural selection.

For example, let's say that due to a mutation, the tropical fungus developed adaptations that allowed it to thrive in the new environment and infect people. These adaptations might include changes in its ability to penetrate human cells or evade the immune system. As a result, the fungus would become more successful at causing infections in the Vancouver Island population.

So, the disease specialist's explanation is plausible because it suggests that over time, through natural selection acting on mutations, the original tropical fungus could have evolved adaptations that made it capable of causing illness in the new environment of Vancouver Island.