If the chance of a person being polymorphic for a particular microsatellite is 50%,what is the chance that a person is polymorphic for four unlinked microsatellite loci?
A) 75%
B) 50%
C) 25%
D) 6.25%
E) 95%

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Assuming the microsatellite loci are unlinked, the chance of being polymorphic at each locus is independent of the others. Therefore, the probability of being polymorphic at all four loci is the product of the probabilities of being polymorphic at each locus. 
Probability of being polymorphic at one locus = 50% = 0.5 
Probability of being monomorphic at one locus = 100% - 50% = 50% = 0.5 
Probability of being polymorphic at all four loci = 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 x 0.5 = 0.0625 or 6.25% 
Therefore, the correct answer is D.

If the Chance of a Person Being Polymorphic for a Particular