[Campbell Biology P.541] In a hypothetical population, a rare recessive genetic condition af... | Practice Question
In a hypothetical population, a rare recessive genetic condition affects 1 in 160,000 individuals. Assuming the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium for this gene, what is the frequency of the dominant allele?
Explanation
The frequency of individuals affected by a recessive condition is the frequency of the homozygous recessive genotype, which is q². So, q² = 1/160,000 = 0.00000625. To find q, take the square root of q²: q = √0.00000625 = 0.0025. The frequency of the dominant allele p is calculated as p = 1 - q. So, p = 1 - 0.0025 = 0.9975.