After screening a colony of bacteria for mutations in a given gene, you discover 100 mutant colonies out of 3 million total colonies. What is the mutation frequency for this gene in the population?
A) 1.0 x 105
B) 1.0 x 10-5
C) 3.0 x 105
D) 3.3 x 10-5

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Mutation frequency is calculated by dividing the number of mutant colonies by the total number of colonies, and then multiplying by 100 to obtain a percentage. 
Mutation frequency = (number of mutant colonies ÷ total number of colonies) x 100 
So, mutation frequency = (100 ÷ 3,000,000) x 100 = 0.0033% 
Expressed in scientific notation, this is 3.3 x 10-5. Therefore, the correct answer is D.

After Screening a Colony of Bacteria for Mutations in a Given