Question

The fraction known as the broad-sense heritability (where VG = genetic variation, VP = phenotypic variation, and VE = environmental variation) is expressed by ________.

1) VG/VP

2) VG/VG + VE

3) VG/VP + VE

4) VG/VE

5) A and B are both accurate.

Answer 1

The fraction referred to as broad-sense heritability is accurately expressed by both VG/VP and VG/(VG + VE). Option 5) is the most comprehensive answer, as it considers both A and B as accurate representations for calculating heritability.

Step-by-step explanation:

The fraction known as the broad-sense heritability is expressed by VG/VP (1) or VG/(VG + VE) (2). Since broad-sense heritability is the proportion of phenotypic variation that can be attributed to genetic variation in a population, the correct expressions to calculate this are either VG/VP, which represents the fraction of genetic variance over the total phenotypic variance, or VG/(VG + VE), which includes both genetic and environmental variations in the denominator.

Therefore, the correct answer to the student's question is options 1) VG/VP and 2) VG/(VG + VE). Following the information provided, both A and B are indeed accurate, making option 5) the most comprehensive answer.