Question

A schematic representation of restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis of a sample population is shown below. The number of people exhibiting a given pattern is indicated above the lanes. 

Calculate the frequency of the 6.5 kb allele. [Correct to two decimal places] 
 

Hint:

To calculate the frequency of a specific allele, divide the number of individuals exhibiting the allele by the total number of individuals in the sample.

Answer 1

Correct Answer: 0.4

Step 1: Understanding the problem.
The frequency of an allele is calculated by dividing the number of people exhibiting the allele by the total number of individuals in the sample population. In this case, we are interested in the 6.5 kb allele. According to the provided data, the number of people exhibiting the 6.5 kb pattern is 8. The total number of individuals in the population is the sum of all the individuals across all patterns.
Step 2: Calculating the total number of individuals.
The total number of individuals is: \[ 8 + 40 + 20 + 7 + 13 + 12 = 100 \] Step 3: Calculating the allele frequency.
The frequency of the 6.5 kb allele is: \[ \frac{8}{100} = 0.08 \] Step 4: Conclusion.
The frequency of the 6.5 kb allele is 0.08.