ASSIGNMENT 2:

Albinism is a rare genetic condition, occurring in only one in every 17,000 to

22,000 individuals in the world (Campbell et al. 2003; Gronskov et al. 2007). Conduct
a library or online research and answer these questions:
a. What can you conclude about the allelic frequency of the a allele globally?

Albinism is a rare genetically inherited trait that is only expressed in the

phenotype of homozygous recessive individuals (aa). If we are to use the
Hardy-Weinberg equation, we must first calculate the frequency of the
homozygous recessive (q2) in order to find the frequency of the recessive allele
(q) which is expressed as a. Then:
q2 = 1/22,000 or 4.55
if we square 4.55, then
q = 2.13
Therefore, the allelic frequency of a allele globally is 2.13.

b. Where do you think the a allele would be more commonly found, among the
heterozygotes (Aa) or the homozygote recessives (aa)? Why do you say so?

The a allele would be more commonly found among homozygote

recessives (aa) since albinism is inherited in an autosomal recessive manner.
Both parents must carry at least one copy of the mutant allele and one normal
copy to create a child with albinism. People with a mutated allele for albinism
are called carriers and do not have symptoms, two copies of the mutated
gene (one passed on from each parent) are necessary to cause symptoms.
This is why we call the albinism trait recessive, and it explains why we see
more albinism within certain ethnic or national groups, and why it is less
visible in other populations.

c. What happens to an individual who is albino (aa) or who has very low or lacks
melanin pigments in the hair, skin, and eyes?

Albinism decreases the production of melanin (the pigment that gives

color to our skin and hair), resulting in a fair skin complexion, light eyes and
hair, and increased susceptibility to various skin and eye conditions.
Individuals with albinism often experience eye problems since they have light-
colored eyes which can be easily damaged by UV radiation from the sun.
They often experience premature glaucoma, general vision issues, and
potential blindness. Albinism can also impair vision, resulting in
nearsightedness, farsightedness, or astigmatism, which is blurry vision due to
an uneven cornea.
 In addition, individuals with albinism are at a higher risk of developing
skin cancers and sunburns due to increased sensitivity to the sun. The more
damage caused by UV radiation, the higher the chance of getting skin cancer.

d. Based on your answer in c, how would you explain the frequency of the a allele?

Since albinism is a recessive trait that requires both parents to have at

least one mutated allele and one normal allele, individuals with this disorder
are often from the same group and that is why it is less common in other
populations. This corroborates the frequency of the a allele around the world
which is rare among individuals.