Hardy Weinberg Principle

The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that for a population in equilibrium, the following equations hold:

• p + q = 1 (for allele frequencies)
• p² + 2pq + q² = 1 (for genotype frequencies)

Where:

• p = frequency of dominant allele (A)
• q = frequency of recessive allele (a)

Given that the frequency of recessive individuals (homozygous aa) is 0.16, this corresponds to q² = 0.16. Therefore:

q = √0.16 = 0.4

Now, using the equation p + q = 1:

p = 1 - 0.4 = 0.6

The frequency of heterozygous individuals (2pq) is given by:

2pq = 2 * 0.6 * 0.4 = 0.48

The correct answer is (C) : 0.48.