If the frequency of an allele is 0.01, what are the chances of observing a homozygote in the next generation (if the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium)?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation, p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1, where p and q are the frequencies of the two alleles in the population. In this case, the frequency of the allele is 0.01, so q = 0.01. To calculate the frequency of homozygotes (q^2), we just square q: 
q^2 = (0.01)^2 = 0.0001 or 0.01%
Therefore, the chances of observing a homozygote in the next generation is 0.01%.

If the Frequency of an Allele Is 0