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Allele Frequency Equation:
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Allele frequency is a measure of the relative frequency of an allele at a particular locus in a population. It is expressed as a fraction or percentage showing what proportion of all alleles in a population is a specific allele.
The calculator uses the allele frequency equation:
Where:
Explanation: The equation accounts for all copies of the allele in the population (two from each homozygous dominant individual and one from each heterozygous individual) divided by the total number of gene copies (2 per individual).
Details: Allele frequency is fundamental in population genetics, used to study genetic variation, evolution, and inheritance patterns. It helps in understanding genetic diversity, disease prevalence, and evolutionary processes.
Tips: Enter counts of homozygous dominant (AA) and heterozygous (Aa) individuals, and total population size (N). All values must be non-negative integers with N ≥ 1.
Q1: What does an allele frequency of 0.5 mean?
A: An AF of 0.5 means that 50% of all alleles at that locus in the population are the specific allele being measured.
Q2: How is this different from genotype frequency?
A: Allele frequency counts individual alleles, while genotype frequency counts combinations of alleles in individuals.
Q3: What's the range of possible allele frequencies?
A: Allele frequency ranges from 0 (allele not present) to 1 (allele is the only variant at that locus).
Q4: When is this calculation most useful?
A: Particularly useful in population genetics studies, conservation biology, and medical genetics research.
Q5: How large should the population sample be?
A: Larger samples give more accurate estimates. Typically, at least 30-50 individuals are recommended for meaningful results.