What is the frequency of the purple and pink alleles in a field population of tulips with 640 purple flowers and 360 pink flowers?
The frequency of the purple allele (C) in this field population is 0.64, and the frequency of the pink allele (c) is 0.36. In this field population of tulips, the frequency of the purple and pink alleles can be determined using the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equation.
Understanding Allele Frequencies in a Tulip Population
The allele frequencies in a population can provide valuable insights into the genetic makeup and inheritance patterns of that population. In the case of tulips, the color of the flowers can be controlled by a single gene locus, where the purple allele (C) is dominant over the pink allele (c).
When we are provided with the data of 640 purple flowers and 360 pink flowers from a random sample of 1000 tulips in a cultivated field, we can calculate the frequency of each allele in the population.
To determine the frequency of the alleles, we first need to assign symbols to the alleles:
- Purple allele: C
- Pink allele: c
Given that purple is dominant over pink, individuals can have the following genotypes:
- CC (purple)
- Cc (purple)
- cc (pink)
Using the data of 640 purple flowers and 360 pink flowers, we can calculate the frequencies of the genotypes:
- Frequency of CC genotype (p²): 640/1000 = 0.64
- Frequency of cc genotype (q²): 360/1000 = 0.36
Next, we can use the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium equations to find the frequencies of the alleles:
1. p² + 2pq + q² = 1 (sum of all genotype frequencies)
2. p + q = 1 (sum of all allele frequencies)
Given that we have found the frequencies of the genotypes, we can solve for p and q:
- p + q = 1
- 0.64 + q = 1
- q = 1 - 0.64
- q = 0.36
Therefore, the frequency of the purple allele (C) in this field population is 0.64, and the frequency of the pink allele (c) is 0.36. These allele frequencies provide essential information for understanding the genetic diversity and inheritance patterns of tulips in the field.