In the formula for determining a population's genotype frequencies,the 2 in the term 2pq is necessary because
A)the population is diploid.
B)heterozygotes can come about in two ways based upon parental gametes.
C)the population is doubling in number.
D)heterozygotes have two alleles.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The 2 in the term 2pq represents the fact that heterozygotes can come about in two ways based upon which allele comes from which parent. In other words, if p is the frequency of one allele and q is the frequency of the other allele, then the frequency of heterozygotes (2pq) reflects the fact that the heterozygous genotype can be formed by combining the two different alleles in two different ways (e.g. AB and ab or Ab and aB). This is true regardless of whether the population is diploid, doubling in number, or the number of alleles present in the population.

In the Formula for Determining a Population's Genotype Frequencies,the 2