Asexual and sexual reproduction Original Scenario-Based Practice

Questions

1. 1.

   In an isolated subterranean biome, researchers monitor two distinct populations of bioluminescent cavern ferns: Population Alpha reproduces exclusively by stolon budding, while Population Beta reproduces by releasing haploid spores produced through meiosis that undergo cross-fertilization. When a virulent bacterial pathogen unexpectedly contaminates the water supply, the entire population of Alpha rapidly dies off, whereas several individuals in Population Beta survive and continue to reproduce. Which statement best explains why Population Beta demonstrated greater resilience to this sudden environmental stressor?

   • A) Population Alpha suffered from high rates of meiotic non-disjunction, which weakened the structural integrity of their cell walls.
   • B) Population Beta was able to produce far more total offspring in a shorter period of time, ensuring that sheer abundance overwhelmed the pathogen.
   • C) Population Beta generated diverse allelic combinations through meiosis and fertilization, increasing the chance that some individuals possessed resistance alleles.
   • D) Population Alpha underwent sexual reproduction that resulted in genetically uniform offspring unable to adapt to pathogenic infection.

Answers and step-by-step solutions appear after you finish the test.