Question

In a population of humans, the frequency of blue eyes is 0.09. If having blue eyes is the recessive phenotype, what is the frequency of the recessive allele?

Answer 1

0.3

Step-by-step explanation:

According to the Hardy-Weinberg principle, in a population in equilibrium, where p is the dominant allele and q is the recessive allele,

Allele frequencies:

p + q = 1

Genotype frequencies:

where p² is the dominant h0m0zygous phenotype and q² is the recessive h0m0zygous phenotype, and 2pq is the heterozygote.

p² + 2pq + q² = 1,

where p² is the dominant h0m0zygous phenotype and q² is the recessive h0m0zygous phenotype, and 2pq is the heterozygote.

Since we know q² = the recessive h0m0zygous phenotype, and the frequency is 0.09

q = \sqrt{0.09} \\ = 1

=0.3