Which of the following is NOT an example of a “good” mutation of DNA?

Question

A) Birds developing specialized beak shapes for feeding.

B) A person with the genetic disorder sickle cell anemia.

C) Camoplague patterns of snakes.

D) Photosynthetic algae adapting to growth without light.

Answer 1

B. Someone contracted a disease because of a mutation is certainly not good. All of the other examples show mutations that created adaptations which could be either good or bad.

Answer 2

I'm not sure why people are saying "none of the above" when there is no such option.

While sickle cell anemia is more prevalent in countries with high incidences of malaria, such as Africa, it is generally accepted as being detrimental to one's health. If you're in a normal high school biology course, go with B.

For those of you saying that camoplague "sounds bad," I am almost sure that it is simply another term for camouflage. Camouflage is good in an evolutionary sense. So is a species of bird developing a specialized beak. Photosynthetic algae would need light (photosynthetic means to synthesize with light, meaning they produce energy from light) to produce energy, but having the ability to do it without light would make them more resiliant organisms for those "rainy days." :)

I would go with B if this question were presented to me.

Answer 3

B)
the other three are somehow beneficial for the animals or not harmful at all. But sickle cell anemia results in sickle shaped RBC when there is little oxygen supply in the blood. This occurs because of mutations resulting in alteration of amino acids in the protein part of haemoglobin. So, the Sickle shaped RBC can prove dangerous when they are flowing the in blood vessels. Hence this type of mutation is not a " good" mutation.

Answer 4

That's kind of a misleading question, although it would seem that the desired answer is (B). The sickle-cell trait is protective against malaria, which is why it widely persists in the original African populations where it arose. In that sense, then, it was and is at least partially a "good" (ie helpful) change. In areas where malaria is not a problem, of course, there is no benefit to having this trait, and a significant detriment (early death at worst, poor oxygen uptake and transport at best).

Answer 5

B) is bad,because sickle cell anemia causes irregular shaped blood cells that arnt as good at carring oxygen as regular disk shaped blood cells, and often get stuck in capillaries, although sickle cell anemia does helps stop the disease malaria, so i guess is depends how you look at it. but the answer for your homework or whatever will still be the letter [B]

Answer 6

I'm not sure but, the camo-plague in C) sounds pretty bad.

I'd go with none of the above. These guys are correct, being a heterozygous carrier is advantageous in places with high incidences of malaria.

Answer 7

None of the above.

Your teacher probably wants you to answer B. But the sickling allele has its proper place and uses. It confers partial resistance to malaria to heterozygous carriers.

Answer 8

Seriously, if you are unable to answer this on your own, you need to spend your homework time doing homework instead of whatever it is you're actually doing with that time.

Answer 9

B