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| Albinism is a condition caused by a recessive allele that prevents the development of pigment in the skin and other parts of the body. Albinos need to protect their skin and eyes from sunlight. The allele has a frequency of about 0.00005. What is the likelihood that both members of a couple would carry the allele? Why might two cousins or two members of a small tribe be more likely to have the allele than two non-relatives from a larger population? If an island population has its first albino baby in history, why might it have suddenly appeared? Would it be possible to eliminate this allele from the human population? Would it be desirable to do so?
Review chapter 10, Patterns of Inheritance. Do you recall how to set up a Punnett square? What effect does mutation have on the kinds of alleles present in a population and the allele frequency within a population? How does meiosis affect the combinations of genes present from one generation to the next? |