Question

The Hardy-Weinberg principle is written as an equation: p2 + pq2 + q2 = 1. What does the q represent?

the size of the population

the size of the gene pool

frequency of the dominant allele

frequency of the recessive allele

Answer 1

The correct answer option is: frequency of the recessive allele.

Step-by-step explanation:

When there are no mutations, no selective forces, no gene flow, no non-random mating and large population size, the population is said to be in Hardy- Weinberg equilibrium.

When Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is met, it is written in the form of an equation which is as follows:

`p^2+2pq+q^2=1`

where
`p^2` represents the frequency of the homozygous dominant allele,
`2pq` is the frequency of the heterozygous allele while q or
`q^2` represents the frequency of the homozygous recessive allele.