A rare disease due to a recessive allele that is lethal when homozygous occurs with a frequency of one in a million. How many individuals in a town of 1,400 can be expected to carry this allele?
The question follows hardy weinberg equilibrium.
(p+q)2 = p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
p2 = Homozygous dominant (AA)
2pq = Heterozygous (Aa)
q2 = homozygous recessive (aa)
According to question, a rare disease due to a recessive allele that is lethal when homozygous occurs with a frequency of one in a million, So
aa = q2 = 0.000001 = 1/1000000
q = 0.001
p = 0.999
2pq = 2(0.001)(0.999)
= 0.001998
Number of individuals in a town of 1,400 expected to carry the allele = 0.001998 x 1400
= 2.79
= 3 individuals
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