Explain how a mutated allele is more likely to be harmful to an individual organism than a normal allele.?

Question

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Answer 1

A mutated allele may not be more harmful, but it is more likely to harmful when it causes a protein to not form properly, which can lead to many problems. That can happen when part of the gene is missing, from as little as one base pair to many, when part of it is duplicated, or even when the order is inverted so instead of ABCD it reads ACBD. Sometimes, it isn't as stable causing it to be more likely to become cancerous which can also be harmful.

Answer 2

Mutant alleles are not necessarily more likely to be harmful than their normal counterparts.  Sometimes they are, sometimes not.  An example of a harmful allele is the deletion that results in cystic fibrosis.  The gene codes for a transport protein essential to maintaining proper viscocity of respiratory secretions.  The mutant form produces a disfunctional protein that results in a devastating and fatal disease.