Use the following information to answer the following questions.
In those parts of equatorial Africa where the malaria parasite is most common, the sickle-cell allele constitutes 20% of the β hemoglobin alleles in the human gene pool.
-What should be the proportion of heterozygous individuals in populations that live here?
A) 0.04
B) 0.16
C) 0.20
D) 0.32
E) 0.80

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The proportion of heterozygous individuals can be calculated using the Hardy-Weinberg equation: 2pq. In this case, p = frequency of the normal hemoglobin allele (0.8) and q = frequency of the sickle-cell allele (0.2). So, 2(0.8)(0.2) = 0.32, which is the proportion of heterozygous individuals in the population.

Use the Following Information to Answer the Following Questions