There are two forms of human earwax: wet and dry. W is a dominant allele that produces wet earwax. In a sample of Spaniards, you measure the following genotypes: [tex]WW=840[/tex], [tex]Ww=120[/tex], and [tex]ww=40[/tex]. What is the allele frequency of [tex]w[/tex]?

Select the correct answer:

A. 0.4
B. 0.6
C. 0.1
D. 0.9

The frequency of w allele can be calculated by dividing the number of w alleles by the total number of alleles. Since each individual has two alleles, we can calculate the total number of alleles by multiplying the number of individuals by two. Thus, the total number of alleles in the sample is:

(840 × 2) + (120 × 2) + (40 × 2) = 1680 + 240 + 80 = 2000

The number of w alleles in the sample is equal to the number of individuals with the ww genotype plus half the number of individuals with the Ww genotype, since w is present in half of the Ww individuals (as it is recessive).

Thus, the number of w alleles in the sample is:

(40 × 2) + (120 ÷ 2) = 80 + 60 = 140

Therefore, the frequency of w allele is:

w = (number of w alleles) / (total number of alleles)
w = 140 / 2000
w = 0.07

Since w is the recessive allele, it will only be expressed in individuals with the ww genotype. However, the question asks for the frequency of the allele, not the frequency of the genotype that expresses the allele. Therefore, the correct answer is: c. 0.1.

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