Question

In a population of Amish people, the frequency of the recessive autosomal allele for polydactyly is 1.2%. What percent of the population are heterozygotes for the polydactyly allele?

a) 2.4%
b) 0.6%
c) 1.2%
d) 98.8%

Answer 1

Using the Hardy-Weinberg principle and the given frequency of the recessive allele (1.2%), we calculate that the percentage of the Amish population that are heterozygotes for polydactyly is approximately 2.4%.

Step-by-step explanation:

To calculate the percentage of the population that are heterozygotes for the polydactyly allele, we can use the Hardy-Weinberg principle. The frequency of the recessive allele, q, is given as 1.2% or 0.012. To find p, we subtract q from 1, giving p = 1 - q = 1 - 0.012 = 0.988. The frequency of the heterozygotes is represented by 2pq.

Therefore, the percentage of heterozygotes in the population is 2 × p × q = 2 × 0.988 × 0.012 = 0.02376, which is approximately 2.4% when converted to a percentage.

In conclusion, the correct answer is a) 2.4%.