Final answer:
Dividing the number of copies of the e allele by the total number of both E and e alleles calculates the allele frequency of the e allele in a population. The concept of allele frequency is used to understand genetic variation and evolutionary potential in population genetics.
Step-by-step explanation:
When dividing the number of all the copies of the e allele in the population by the total number of copies of both alleles (E and e) in the population, you calculate the allele frequency of the e allele.
Allele frequency is a critical concept in population genetics, informing us about how common a certain allele is within a gene pool. It enables us to understand genetic variation and potential for evolutionary change in a population. For instance, if you consider a population with the two alleles E (dominant) and e (recessive) for a certain gene, and you know the number of individuals who are homozygous and heterozygous for these alleles, you can calculate the allele frequencies using simple mathematics.
Using the Hardy-Weinberg principle as a reference, the frequency is often represented by p for the dominant allele and q for the recessive allele (e in this case), the fundamental equation being p + q = 1. The genotype frequencies can then be expressed as p² for homozygous dominant, 2pq for heterozygous, and q² for homozygous recessive individuals. These genotype frequencies for a population in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium will sum to 1 (p² + 2pq + q² = 1).