Question

In the Hardy-Weinberg equation, p + q = 1, p and q represent the frequency of alleles in a population of diploid organisms if

A. two or more alleles exist for that gene.
B. two or more genes are needed to express a trait.
C. only two alleles exist for that gene.
D. the trait is polygenic.
E. only one allele exists for that gene.

Answer 1

In the Hardy-Weinberg equation, p + q = 1, p and q represent the frequency of alleles in a population of diploid organisms when only two alleles exist for that gene.

Step-by-step explanation:

In the Hardy-Weinberg equation, p + q = 1, p and q represent the frequency of alleles in a population of diploid organisms. This equation is used when only two alleles exist for a gene. The sum of the frequencies of the two alleles must equal 1, meaning that the combined frequencies of the dominant (p) and recessive (q) alleles make up all the alleles for that gene in the population.