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BioWolf BioWolf
wrote...
Posts: 10
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7 years ago
Greetings fellow biology forum people!  Slight Smile Here are some questions that I am pretty stuck on.. I would really appreciate some help/explanations.

NOTE: An allele is the variant form of a given gene. Sometimes, different alleles can result in different observable phenotypic traits, such as different pigmentation.


1. If anti-HIV drugs were WIDELY available and effective, would globally widespread HIV increase the frequency of the resistance allele? Explain your answer.

2. Assume that anti-HIV drugs are NOT available. Would globally widespread HIV increase or decrease the frequency of the resistance allele? Explain your answer.

3. What conclusion can you draw about the use of anti-HIV drugs in terms of the evolution of resistance in the human population?

4.Even though anti-HIV drugs may be helping people, justify NOT using anti-HIV drugs. Your response should consider both scientific and ethical perspectives.
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Valued Member
Educator
7 years ago
Hi BioWolf, thanks for the question.

Quote
1. If anti-HIV drugs were WIDELY available and effective, would globally widespread HIV increase the frequency of the resistance allele? Explain your answer.

No, I believe it would be the other way around. By decreasing natural selection you do not encourage replication of the allele.

Quote
2. Assume that anti-HIV drugs are NOT available. Would globally widespread HIV increase or decrease the frequency of the resistance allele? Explain your answer.

We have never found one drug that truly cures any viral disease even though some can reduce the circulating amount of virus particles or remove the virus from the blood while it hides in body tissues waiting to return when the body's resistance goes down. Yes, if anti-HIV were effective and availably because this would widely increase the resistance of allele frequency.

Quote
3. What conclusion can you draw about the use of anti-HIV drugs in terms of the evolution of resistance in the human population?

HIV drug resistance occurs when microevolution causes visions to become tolerant to antiretroviral treatments. Small gene pools and less diverse gene pools may make these humans unable to adapt to the change which will make HIV slowly disappear because everyone would be resistant to it.

Quote
4.Even though anti-HIV drugs may be helping people, justify NOT using anti-HIV drugs. Your response should consider both scientific and ethical perspectives.

These drugs give the infected the ability to infect others for a longer period of time. There is no cure for HIV. In France about four thousand individuals were given blood infected with HIV. A former Health Minister was convicted for failing to appropriately screen the blood, leading to the deaths of five people from AIDS and the contamination of two others.
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