Albinism is a recessive trait controlled by a single gene. If the frequency of albinos in a population is 0.25, what is the expected frequency of heterozygotes for this trait? (Hint: use the Hardy-Weinberg formula)

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Quizplus · Accepted Answer

According to the Hardy-Weinberg formula, the expected frequency of heterozygotes for a recessive trait can be calculated as 2pq, where p is the frequency of the dominant allele and q is the frequency of the recessive allele. Since albinism is a recessive trait, the frequency of the recessive allele q must be the square root of 0.25, which is 0.5. Therefore, the frequency of heterozygotes (2pq) is 2 x 0.5 x 0.5 = 0.50.

Albinism Is a Recessive Trait Controlled by a Single Gene