Mutations occur at random and can increase within a population for no particular purpose. Our immune system is capable of detecting and killing certain viruses. Would a virus, such as HIV, that has a frequent rate of mutation be more or less successful in avoiding the immune system? Explain.

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Answer 1

Textbook Question

Chapter 15, Problem 1TC

Mutations occur at random and can increase within a population for no particular purpose. Our immune system is capable of detecting and killing certain viruses. Would a virus, such as HIV, that has a frequent rate of mutation be more or less successful in avoiding the immune system? Explain.

Expert Solution & Answer

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether a virus (such as HIV) having a frequent mutation rate would be more successful or less successful in avoiding the immune system.

Introduction:

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) virus is known to cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in humans. This disease weakens the immune system of the body and it makes it prone to other life-threatening and opportunistic infections. HIV is a retrovirus having RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

Explanation of Solution

The mutation rate of HIV virus is one million times faster than that of human genome. It generates diversity among the viral population. This high mutation rate of HIV virus facilitates its survival in the host. The host environment is very complex for the virus as it has limited target cell availability, antiviral immune response, and the host also takes anti-retroviral therapies. Even then, the frequent mutation rate of virus allows it to survive in the host body. Thus, it makes the virus more successful in avoiding the immune system.

Conclusion

High rates of mutation are helpful for HIV virus in avoiding the immune system of the host.

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Students have asked these similar questions

In the replica plate experiment, it shows that mutations are random. However, certain environmental stresses (such as high temperature, high salt, and low pH) can increase the mutation rate. QUESTIONS: Does increasing the mutation rate increase the probability that an individual mutation will be adaptive?

Some populations change noticeably in form within a hundred years. If only one gene in every 200,000 mutates and if most mutations are harmful, how is such change possible?

Point mutations, like the single-nucleotide substitution in human sickle-cell trait, illustrate which of the following evolutionary features? mutations are never detrimental and always advantageous, regardless of the environment mutations might be either advantageous or detrimental, depending on the environment mutations are always detrimental and never advantageous, regardless of the environment mutations are neither advantageous nor detrimental, regardless of the environment mutations are always both advantageous and detrimental, regardless of the environment

Answer 2

Textbook Question

Chapter 15, Problem 1TC

Mutations occur at random and can increase within a population for no particular purpose. Our immune system is capable of detecting and killing certain viruses. Would a virus, such as HIV, that has a frequent rate of mutation be more or less successful in avoiding the immune system? Explain.

Expert Solution & Answer

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether a virus (such as HIV) having a frequent mutation rate would be more successful or less successful in avoiding the immune system.

Introduction:

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) virus is known to cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in humans. This disease weakens the immune system of the body and it makes it prone to other life-threatening and opportunistic infections. HIV is a retrovirus having RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

Explanation of Solution

The mutation rate of HIV virus is one million times faster than that of human genome. It generates diversity among the viral population. This high mutation rate of HIV virus facilitates its survival in the host. The host environment is very complex for the virus as it has limited target cell availability, antiviral immune response, and the host also takes anti-retroviral therapies. Even then, the frequent mutation rate of virus allows it to survive in the host body. Thus, it makes the virus more successful in avoiding the immune system.

Conclusion

High rates of mutation are helpful for HIV virus in avoiding the immune system of the host.

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Answer 3

Textbook Question

Chapter 15, Problem 1TC

Mutations occur at random and can increase within a population for no particular purpose. Our immune system is capable of detecting and killing certain viruses. Would a virus, such as HIV, that has a frequent rate of mutation be more or less successful in avoiding the immune system? Explain.

Expert Solution & Answer

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether a virus (such as HIV) having a frequent mutation rate would be more successful or less successful in avoiding the immune system.

Introduction:

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) virus is known to cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in humans. This disease weakens the immune system of the body and it makes it prone to other life-threatening and opportunistic infections. HIV is a retrovirus having RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

Explanation of Solution

The mutation rate of HIV virus is one million times faster than that of human genome. It generates diversity among the viral population. This high mutation rate of HIV virus facilitates its survival in the host. The host environment is very complex for the virus as it has limited target cell availability, antiviral immune response, and the host also takes anti-retroviral therapies. Even then, the frequent mutation rate of virus allows it to survive in the host body. Thus, it makes the virus more successful in avoiding the immune system.

Conclusion

High rates of mutation are helpful for HIV virus in avoiding the immune system of the host.

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Answer 4

Textbook Question

Chapter 15, Problem 1TC

Mutations occur at random and can increase within a population for no particular purpose. Our immune system is capable of detecting and killing certain viruses. Would a virus, such as HIV, that has a frequent rate of mutation be more or less successful in avoiding the immune system? Explain.

Expert Solution & Answer

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether a virus (such as HIV) having a frequent mutation rate would be more successful or less successful in avoiding the immune system.

Introduction:

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) virus is known to cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in humans. This disease weakens the immune system of the body and it makes it prone to other life-threatening and opportunistic infections. HIV is a retrovirus having RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

Explanation of Solution

The mutation rate of HIV virus is one million times faster than that of human genome. It generates diversity among the viral population. This high mutation rate of HIV virus facilitates its survival in the host. The host environment is very complex for the virus as it has limited target cell availability, antiviral immune response, and the host also takes anti-retroviral therapies. Even then, the frequent mutation rate of virus allows it to survive in the host body. Thus, it makes the virus more successful in avoiding the immune system.

Conclusion

High rates of mutation are helpful for HIV virus in avoiding the immune system of the host.

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Subscribe now to access step-by-step solutions to millions of textbook problems written by subject matter experts!

Answer 5

Textbook Question

Answer 6

Textbook Question

Answer 7

Expert Solution & Answer

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether a virus (such as HIV) having a frequent mutation rate would be more successful or less successful in avoiding the immune system.

Introduction:

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) virus is known to cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in humans. This disease weakens the immune system of the body and it makes it prone to other life-threatening and opportunistic infections. HIV is a retrovirus having RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

Explanation of Solution

The mutation rate of HIV virus is one million times faster than that of human genome. It generates diversity among the viral population. This high mutation rate of HIV virus facilitates its survival in the host. The host environment is very complex for the virus as it has limited target cell availability, antiviral immune response, and the host also takes anti-retroviral therapies. Even then, the frequent mutation rate of virus allows it to survive in the host body. Thus, it makes the virus more successful in avoiding the immune system.

Conclusion

High rates of mutation are helpful for HIV virus in avoiding the immune system of the host.

Answer 8

Expert Solution & Answer

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether a virus (such as HIV) having a frequent mutation rate would be more successful or less successful in avoiding the immune system.

Introduction:

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) virus is known to cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in humans. This disease weakens the immune system of the body and it makes it prone to other life-threatening and opportunistic infections. HIV is a retrovirus having RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

Explanation of Solution

The mutation rate of HIV virus is one million times faster than that of human genome. It generates diversity among the viral population. This high mutation rate of HIV virus facilitates its survival in the host. The host environment is very complex for the virus as it has limited target cell availability, antiviral immune response, and the host also takes anti-retroviral therapies. Even then, the frequent mutation rate of virus allows it to survive in the host body. Thus, it makes the virus more successful in avoiding the immune system.

Conclusion

High rates of mutation are helpful for HIV virus in avoiding the immune system of the host.

Answer 9

Expert Solution & Answer

Answer 10

Expert Solution & Answer

Answer 11

Summary Introduction

To determine:

Whether a virus (such as HIV) having a frequent mutation rate would be more successful or less successful in avoiding the immune system.

Introduction:

HIV (Human immunodeficiency virus) virus is known to cause AIDS (acquired immunodeficiency syndrome) in humans. This disease weakens the immune system of the body and it makes it prone to other life-threatening and opportunistic infections. HIV is a retrovirus having RNA (ribonucleic acid) as its genetic material.

Answer 12

Explanation of Solution

The mutation rate of HIV virus is one million times faster than that of human genome. It generates diversity among the viral population. This high mutation rate of HIV virus facilitates its survival in the host. The host environment is very complex for the virus as it has limited target cell availability, antiviral immune response, and the host also takes anti-retroviral therapies. Even then, the frequent mutation rate of virus allows it to survive in the host body. Thus, it makes the virus more successful in avoiding the immune system.

Answer 13

Conclusion

High rates of mutation are helpful for HIV virus in avoiding the immune system of the host.

Answer 14

Ch. 15.1 - Define catastrophism and identify who proposed...Ch. 15.1 - Evaluate Lamarck’s idea of “inheritance of...Ch. 15.1 - Construct a timeline of the history of...Ch. 15.2 - List the three categories of observations made by...Ch. 15.2 - Summarize the components of Darwin’s theory of...Ch. 15.2 - Prob. 3CYP Ch. 15.3 - Prob. 1NS.1QC Ch. 15.3 - How does the tree of life support Darwin’s theory...Ch. 15.3 - Prob. 1CYP Ch. 15.3 - Summarize the difference between homologous and...

Mutations occur at random and can increase within a population for no particular purpose. Our immune system is capable of detecting and killing certain viruses. Would a virus, such as HIV, that has a frequent rate of mutation be more or less successful in avoiding the immune system? Explain.

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