Question

What is balanced polymorphism?

Answer 1

Different phenotypes are maintained at a relatively steady frequency in the population due to balanced polymorphism. Sickle-cell anaemia is caused by a structural alteration in the haemoglobin molecule. Because the heterozygote is a better fit than either of the homozygotes, a gene system in which two alleles are kept in stable equilibrium.

Complete answer:
Balanced polymorphism occurs when two different versions of a gene are maintained in a population of organisms because individuals who carry both versions are more likely to survive than those who only have two copies of one. Balancing selection is the evolutionary process that keeps the two forms together over time.

Chromosomes are where genes are stored. Alleles are different variants of a gene. The wild-type allele is the most common allele found in a population. The majority of plants and animals have two copies of each chromosome, one from each parent. The copies of genes located on these homologous chromosomes can be identical or different; that is, the organism could have two copies of one allele or one copy of each of two separate alleles.

The creature is called homozygous for that gene in the first scenario, and heterozygous in the second.

Alleles differ in their nucleotide sequences, which can affect the structure and function of the protein that the gene codes for. As a result, various alleles may have varied consequences on the appearance or ability to live of an organism. These outcomes can be beneficial, detrimental, or indifferent.

The set of enzymes in the liver that function like an assembly line (or, more precisely, a disassembly line) to detoxify toxins and other substances is an example of balanced polymorphism.

Sickle Cell Disease is an autosomal recessive illness characterised by anaemia, joint discomfort, an enlarged spleen, and recurrent, severe infections. Because carriers are resistant to malaria, an infection caused by the parasite Plasmodium falciparum that produces cycles of chills and fever, it exemplifies balanced polymorphism.

Note: Natural selection is the adaptation and modification of populations of living organisms. Individuals in a population are naturally varied, which means they differ in certain respects. Because of this variety, some people have features that are better suited to their surroundings than others.