From a Standpoint of Natural Selection, We See That the Heterozygous

Multiple Choice

From a standpoint of natural selection, we see that the heterozygous advantage for β^Aβ^S individuals is balanced by the disadvantage to those with SCD or the wild-type alleles (and no malaria protection) . The action of these conflicting trends produces an overall increase in the mutant allele until it reaches a state where the gain and loss of β^S alleles is equal. What is the term for this stable condition that allows mutant alleles to remain in a particular population?

A) equilibrium frequency
B) heterozygote fitness
C) restriction fragment length polymorphism
D) single nucleotide polymorphism
E) balanced polymorphism