Answer:
<u>Antigenic drift</u> refers to the slow accumulation of genetic changes to an influenza virus over time.
Explanation:
Antigenic drift is defined as the mechanism by which viruses undergo variation. This mechanism involves the slow accumulation of mutations in the viral genes, that are responsible for coding the antibody binding sites. This leads to the formation of a new strain of virus, which can't be inhibited by the old antibodies. Due to this, the virus can easily spread the disease.
The antigenic drift occurs in the influenza A virus and also the influenza B viruses.
Therefore, <u>Antigenic drift refers to the slow accumulation of genetic changes to an influenza virus over time.</u>
The correct answer is option D, that is since genetic drift is random, it does not always favor the better or healthier organisms.
A mechanism of evolution in which the frequencies of alleles of a population change with generations because of sampling error is known as genetic drift. It takes place in all the populations of non-infinite size, however, its influences are strongest in small populations.
Prokaryotic cells lack a defined nucleus, but have a region in the cell, termed the nucleoid, in which a single chromosomal, circular, double-stranded DNA molecule is located.
