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Verbal·Standard English Conventions·Form, Structure, and Sense
hard
Mitochondrial genomes reproduce asexually, which should over time result in an accumulation of harmful mutations and a decline in mitochondrial functionality. However, nuclear genes are hypothesized to coevolve with the rate of mitochondrial decline, eliminating mutational erosion. Such a compensatory measure __________ the organelle’s decline, unlike enzyme-stabilizing accessory proteins, offers an evolutionary explanation of mitochondrial reproduction.
Which choice completes the text so that it conforms to the conventions of Standard English?
A
counteracting
B
counteracted
C
had counteracted
D
counteracts