Achange in a sequence of dna bases in a bacterial cell has resulted in a mutation. this mutation has increased the ability of the bacteria to break down and digest organic molecules in the environment. bacteria with this mutation are better able to find and utilize food sources. according to the theory of natural selection, what is most likely to occur in future generations of this bacteria?
a) the relative frequency of the mutation will increase as time passes.
b) because the mutation has changed the dna of the bacteria, a new species will be formed.
c) because the mutation is abnormal, the mutation will become more rare with every passing generation.
d) bacteria with the mutation will increase in number until the food supply is exhausted, causing the bacteria to become extinct.

A) The relative frequency of the mutation will increase as time passes.

Explanation:

Charles Darwin, after returning from his trip around the world aboard the Beagle, started to raise domestic animals. He noted that, many times, some breeders crossed animals with important characteristics among themselves. This meant that those characteristics were passed on from generation to generation. This method is known as artificial selection.

as a result of artificial selection, individuals with a specific trait would survive and end up passing that trait on to their descendants. With this, we can conclude that in the case of the bacteria mentioned above, the mutation that originated a characteristic favorable to its existence will pass on to its descendants, so the relative frequency of the mutation will increase with time.