Hardy-Weinberg Problem Set Name _______________________

p + 2pq + q = 1 p + q = 1
2 2

p = frequency of the dominant allele in the population

q = frequency of the recessive allele in the population
p = percentage of homozygous dominant individuals
2

q = percentage of homozygous recessive individuals

2

2pq = percentage of heterozygous individuals

1. You have sampled a population in which you know that the percentage of the homozygous recessive genotype
(aa) is 36%. Using that 36%, calculate the following:
A. The frequency of the "aa" genotype.
B. The frequency of the "a" allele.
C. The frequency of the "A" allele.
D. The frequencies of the genotypes "AA" and "Aa."
E. The frequencies of the two possible phenotypes if "A" is completely dominant over "a."

Answer:

A. The frequency of the "aa" genotype is 6%.

B. The frequency of the "a" allele is 6%.
C. The frequency of the "A" allele is 94%.
D. The frequency of the "AA" genotype is 88.36%, and the frequency of the "Aa" genotype is 11.28%.
E. If "A" is completely dominant over "a," the frequency of the dominant phenotype is 99.64%, and the frequency of
the recessive phenotype is 6%.

2. The allele for a hitchhiker's thumb is recessive compared to straight thumbs, which are dominant. . In a
population of 1000 individuals, 510 show the dominant phenotype. How many individuals would you expect
for each of the three possible genotypes for this trait?

Answer: To calculate the expected number of individuals with the genotype "SS," we square the
frequency of the dominant allele, which is approximately 0.71. So,
(0.71)^2 * 1000 = 504.
To calculate the expected number of individuals with the genotype "Ss," we multiply the
frequency of the dominant allele by the frequency of the recessive allele, which is
approximately 0.71 * (1 -
0.71) * 1000 = 692.
Finally, we subtract the number of individuals with the genotypes "SS" and
"Ss" from the total population of 1000 to find the expected number of individuals with the
genotype "ss," which is
approximately 1000 - 504 - 692 = 196.

Sickle-cell anemia is an interesting genetic disease. Normal homozygous individuals (SS) have normal blood cells that are
easily infected with the malarial parasite. Thus, many of these individuals become very ill from the parasite and many die.
Individuals homozygous for the sickle-cell trait (ss) have red blood cells that readily collapse when deoxygenated.
Although malaria cannot grow in these red blood cells, individuals often die because of the genetic defect. However,
individuals with the heterozygous condition (Ss) have some sickling of red blood cells, but generally not enough to cause
mortality. In addition, malaria cannot survive well within these "partially defective" red blood cells. Thus, heterozygotes
tend to survive better than either of the homozygous conditions. If 9% of an African population is born with a severe
form of sickle-cell anemia (ss), what percentage of the population will be more resistant to malaria because they are
heterozygous (Ss) for the sickle-cell gene?

Answer: the percentage of the population that will be more resistant to malaria because they are heterozygous (Ss) for the sickle-
cell gene is approximately 16.4%.

A. To find the frequency of the recessive allele (f), we can take the square root of the
frequency of the homozygous recessive condition:
(4%) = 2%

B. To find the frequency of the dominant allele (F), we can subtract the frequency of the
recessive allele from 100%:
100% - 2% = 98%

C. To find the frequency of heterozygous individuals (Ff), we can use the equation:
2pq = 2 * 98% * 2% = 3.92%

So, the frequency of the recessive allele (f) is 2%, the frequency of the dominant allele
(F) is 98%, and the frequency of heterozygous individuals (Ff) is 3.92%.

5. The allele for a widow's peak (hairline) is dominant over the allele for a straight hairline. In a population of
500 indiviuals, 25% show the recessive phenotype. How many individuals would you expect to be homozyous dominant
and heterozygous for the trait?

It’s 375 individuals for homozygous dominant (WW) and 125 individuals it’s heterozygous (Ww)
for the widow's peak trait.

6. Within a population of butterflies, the color brown (B) is dominant over the color white (b). And, 40% of all butterflies
are white. Given this simple information, calculate the following:
A. The percentage of butterflies in the population that are heterozygous.
B. The frequency of homozygous dominant individuals

1. The percentage of butterflies that are heterozygous is 30%.

2. The frequency of homozygous dominant individuals is 60%.

7. Cystic fibrosis is a recessive condition that affects about 1 in 2,500 babies in the Caucasian population of the United
States. Please calculate the following.
The frequency of the recessive allele in the population.
The frequency of the dominant allele in the population.
The percentage of heterozygous individuals (carriers) in the population.

In the Caucasian population of the United States, the frequency of the recessive allele is
0.02%, the frequency of the dominant allele is 99.98%, and the percentage of heterozygous
individuals (carriers) is
0.04%.
8. Below is a data set on wing coloration in the scarlet tiger moth (Panaxia dominula). Coloration in this species had been
shown to behave as a single-locus, two-allele system with incomplete dominance. Data for 1612 individuals are given
below:
White-spotted (AA) =1469 Intermediate (Aa) = 138 Little spotting (aa) =5
Calculate the allele frequencies ( p and q )

the allele frequency for the dominant allele (p) is approximately 0.954, and the allele
frequency for the recessive allele (q) is approximately 0.046.

9. A very large population of randomly-mating laboratory mice contains 35% white mice. White coloring is caused by the
double recessive genotype, "aa". Calculate allelic and genotypic frequencies for this population.

In the population of laboratory mice,

the allelic frequencies are p = 0.4084 and q
= 0.5916. The genotypic frequencies are
approximately AA = 0.1667, Aa = 0.4829,
and aa = 0.3491.

10. The ability to taste PTC is due to a single dominant allele "T". You sampled 215 individuals in biology, and
determined that 150 could detect the bitter taste of PTC and 65 could not. Calculate all of the potential frequencies.

The frequency of the dominant allele (T) is around 0.6977, and the frequency of the recessive
allele (t) is approximately 0.3023.
For the genotypes:
 The frequency of the homozygous dominant genotype (TT) is about 0.6977.
 The frequency of the heterozygous genotype (Tt) is roughly 0.3139.
 The frequency of the homozygous recessive genotype (tt) is around 0.3023.

11. A large population of laboratory animals has been allowed to breed randomly for a number of generations. After
several generations, 43% of the animals display a recessive (aa) phenotype. The rest of the animals show the dominant
phenotype, with heterozygotes indistinguishable from homozygotes.
A. What is the estimated frequency of the ‘a’ allele?
B. What proportion of the population is probably heterozygous (Aa) for this trait?

1. The estimated frequency of the 'a' allele is around 0.6561.

2. The proportion of the population that is probably heterozygous (Aa) for this trait is
approximately 0.6561

12. In peas, a gene controls the flower color such that R = red and r = white. In an isolated pea patch, there were 22 red
flowers and 78 white flowers. What is the value of q for this population? What is the value of p for this population?

The value of q for this population is: q = 78 / (22 + 78)

The value of p for this population is: p= 22/(22 +78)