How to Solve Hardy-Weinberg problems

HOW TO SOLVE HARDY-WEINBERG PROBLEMS Do Now: Copy the following problem solving steps into your notes: 1. 2. 3. 4. Find f(AA) or f(aa) from the information about the populations characteristics in the problem. Use f(AA) = P2 or f(aa) = Q2 to find P or Q. Use P + Q = 1 to find the other frequency. Find the genotype or phenotype frequencies asked for in the question by using

1. f(AA) = P2 2. f(Aa) = 2pq 3. f(aa) = Q2 What the terms mean

f(AA) = frequency of homozygous dominant individuals f(Aa) = frequency of heterozygous individuals f(aa) = frequency of homozygous recessive individuals. P = allele frequency of dominant allele Q = allele frequency of recessive allele Example Problem 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? Step 1: Find f(ss) We are told 9% of the population is ss, the homozygous recessive genotype.

Therefore, f(ss) = .09 Step 2: Find P or Q Since f(ss) = Q2 .09 = Q2 Q = .30 Step 3: Find the Other Frequency

Since P + Q = 1 P + .30 = 1 P = .70 Step 4: Find Unknown Phenotype or Genotype Frequency The question asks you to find the % of heterozygotes. Since f(Ss) = 2PQ

P = .70 Q = .30 f(Ss) = 2(.70)(.30) f(Ss) = .41 41% of the population is heterozygous (Ss) for the trait. Practice.

Complete the 2 practice problems Im here to help. Well go over them in a few minutes. Practice Problem 1: Pigeons Step 1: Find f(BB) or f(bb).

Since we know the red birds are recessive, we must solve for Q first (a blue bird may be BB or Bb) f(bb) = 2/50 = .04 Practice Problem 1: Pigeons Step 2: Find P or Q

Since we know f(bb) = .04, we can solve for Q f(bb) = Q2 .04 = Q2 Q = .20 Practice Problem 1: Pigeons Step 3: Find the other allele frequency

Since we know Q = .20, we can solve for P P+Q=1 P + .20 = 1 P = .80 Practice Problem 1: Pigeons Step 4: Find what the question asks

Since we know P = .80 and Q = .20, we can solve for f(Bb), the frequency of heterozygotes f(Bb) = 2PQ f(Bb) = 2(.80)(.20) f(Bb) = .32 32% of the pigeon population is heterozygous. Practice Problem 2: Dogs Step 1: Find f(BB) or f(bb).

We are given this step in the problem f(BB) = 15% = .15 Practice Problem 2: Dogs Step 2: Find P or Q

Since we know f(BB) = .15, we can solve for P f(BB) = P2 .15 = P2 P = .39 Practice Problem 2: Dogs Step 3: Find the other allele frequency

Since we know P = .39, we can solve for Q P+Q=1 .39 + Q = 1 Q = .61 Practice Problem 2: Dogs Step 4: Find what the question asks

Since we know P = .39 and Q = .61, we can solve for f(bb), the frequency of white dogs f(bb) = Q2 f(bb) = .612 f(bb) = .37 37% of the dogs are white (bb) Practice Problem 2: Dogs Step 4: Find what the question asks

Since we know P = .39 and Q = .61, we can solve for f(Bb), the frequency of spotted dogs f(Bb) = 2PQ f(Bb) = 2(.39)(.61) f(Bb) = .48 48% of the dogs are spotted (Bb)

Check If we add up the 3 percentages, we should get 100%: 15% black + 37% white + 48% spotted = 100% Sometimes, because of rounding to 2 decimal places, you may get a total of 99101% Homework

Complete the first 2 problems of the Hardy-Weinberg problem set.