Final answer:
The symbolism 'p + q = 1.0' symbolizes the frequencies of two alleles of a gene in a population, where 'p' is the frequency of one allele and 'q' is the frequency of the other allele. They total to 1.0, or 100%, signifying that they represent all the allelic variations of the gene within the gene pool. This is a fundamental concept in understanding the genetic structure of populations in biology.
Step-by-step explanation:
The symbolism p + q = 1.0 in biology refers to the concept of allele frequencies within a population's gene pool, underpinned by the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium principle. In this context, 'p' represents the frequency of one allele, while 'q' stands for the frequency of the alternative allele in the same gene locus. According to the principle, the sum of the allele frequencies for a gene locus that has two alleles (e.g., A and a) is equal to 1.0, indicating that they account for all the possibilities for that gene in the population.
For instance, if there is a population of organisms with a gene that has two alleles, A and a, and if 'p' is the frequency of allele A (e.g., p = 0.7), then 'q' must be the frequency of allele a (e.g., q = 0.3) so that their sum is 1. This relationship maintains that the total proportion of the alleles in the population must add up to 100%, or in decimal form, 1.0. Therefore, the equation shows that the probabilities of all potential outcomes (successes and failures in allelic terms) are accounted for and must total unity.
More specifically, if we used a Hardy-Weinberg equation to calculate the genotype frequencies within the population (p² + 2pq + q² = 1), and we know p = 0.4, the frequency of the AA genotype would be represented by 'p²', which is 0.4², giving us the answer 0.16, or 16% of the population.