Question

Assuming brown hair is dominant to blond hair in humans and 84% of the population has brown hair, calculate:

(a) Predicted frequency of heterozygotes.
(b) Predicted frequency of homozygous dominant.
(c) Predicted frequency of homozygous recessive.

Answer 1

To calculate the predicted frequencies of different genotypes based on the dominance of brown hair over blond hair, we use the Hardy-Weinberg equation. The predicted frequency of heterozygotes is 26.88%, the predicted frequency of homozygous dominant individuals is 70.56%, and the predicted frequency of homozygous recessive individuals is 2.56%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the predicted frequencies of different genotypes, we can use the Hardy-Weinberg equation. In this case, the dominant allele (brown hair) has a frequency of 0.84, so the recessive allele (blond hair) has a frequency of 0.16 (1 - 0.84). To calculate the predicted frequency of heterozygotes, we use the formula 2 * p * q, where p is the frequency of the dominant allele and q is the frequency of the recessive allele. Therefore, the predicted frequency of heterozygotes is 2 * 0.84 * 0.16 = 0.2688 (or about 26.88%).

The predicted frequency of homozygous dominant individuals is calculated by squaring the frequency of the dominant allele. In this case, it would be (0.84)^2 = 0.7056 (or about 70.56%).

The predicted frequency of homozygous recessive individuals is calculated by squaring the frequency of the recessive allele. In this case, it would be (0.16)^2 = 0.0256 (or about 2.56%).