If the incidence of an autosomal recessive condition is 1/3600 live births,what is the carrier frequency?

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

To determine carrier frequency, we use the formula 2*q*p = incidence of the disease, where q and p are the frequencies of the recessive allele and the normal allele, respectively. Since this is an autosomal recessive condition, q represents the frequency of carriers. Rearranging the formula, q = incidence of the disease / (2*p). Plugging in the given incidence of 1/3600 and assuming a small population, we can estimate the value of p as approximately 1, since most individuals in the population do not have the disease. Therefore, q = 1/2*3600 = 1/7200, or approximately 0.000139. However, we need to calculate the carrier frequency, which is 2*q = 0.000278, or approximately 0.029. Therefore, the best choice is B.

If the Incidence of an Autosomal Recessive Condition Is 1/3600