One particularly useful feature of the Hardy-Weinberg equation is that it allows us to estimate the frequency of heterozygotes for recessive genetic diseases, assuming that Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium exists. As an example, let’s consider cystic fibrosis, which is a human genetic disease involving a gene that encodes a chloride transporter. Persons with this disorder have an irregularity in salt and water balance. One of the symptoms is thick mucus in the lungs that can contribute to repeated lung infections. In populations of Northern European descent, the frequency of affected individuals is approximately 1 in 2500. Because this is a recessive disorder, affected individuals are homozygotes. Assuming that the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, what is the frequency of individuals who are heterozygous carriers?
One particularly useful feature of the Hardy-Weinberg equation is that it allows us to estimate the frequency of heterozygotes for recessive genetic diseases, assuming that Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium exists. As an example, let’s consider cystic fibrosis, which is a human genetic disease involving a gene that encodes a chloride transporter. Persons with this disorder have an irregularity in salt and water balance. One of the symptoms is thick mucus in the lungs that can contribute to repeated lung infections. In populations of Northern European descent, the frequency of affected individuals is approximately 1 in 2500. Because this is a recessive disorder, affected individuals are homozygotes. Assuming that the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, what is the frequency of individuals who are heterozygous carriers?
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