A gene in a diploid species has five different alleles. In any one population, the allele frequencies of all five alleles must add up to:
A)one.
B)two.
C)five.
D)ten.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

In any diploid species, an individual can have a maximum of two alleles for a given gene. Therefore, the total number of alleles in a population (with a large number of individuals) is equal to twice the number of individuals. The sum of the allele frequencies, therefore, must always add up to the total number of alleles in the population (which is twice the population size). Since we are given that there are five different alleles, the sum of their frequencies must add up to ten. However, the question asks for the sum of allele frequencies in "any one population" and does not specify the size of the population. Therefore, the correct answer is A, one, since we do not have enough information to determine the total number of alleles in a specific population.

A Gene in a Diploid Species Has Five Different Alleles