Question

The allele T is in 85 percent of a population (p=0.85). According to the Hardy-Weinberg equation, what percentage of the population will have the recessive allele t (q=?)?

a) 0.15
b) 0.25
c) 0.35
d) 0.65

Answer 1

Using the Hardy-Weinberg principle, we found that if the dominant allele T has a frequency of 0.85, the frequency of the recessive allele t is 0.15. This corresponds to 15 percent of the population, making option (a) the correct answer.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Hardy-Weinberg equation is a fundamental concept in population genetics that provides insight into the genetic structure of populations. It helps to determine the allelic and genotypic frequencies when a population is in equilibrium. The equation is represented as p² + 2pq + q² = 1, where p represents the frequency of the dominant allele, and q represents the frequency of the recessive allele for a gene within a population.

In the question given, the dominant allele T is present in 85 percent of the population (p = 0.85). To find the percentage of the population with the recessive allele t (represented by q), we use the Hardy-Weinberg principle which states that p + q = 1. By subtracting the frequency of T from 1, we can calculate q as follows:

q = 1 - p
q = 1 - 0.85
q = 0.15

Therefore, the percentage of the population that carries the recessive allele t is 15 percent (q = 0.15), which corresponds to option (a) 0.15 as the correct answer.