In a population, which term represents the frequency of individuals that are heterozygous for a particular gene?

• A. 2pq
• B. p^2
• C. p + q
• D. q^2

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that the problem is asking about the frequency of heterozygous individuals in a population, which is a concept from population genetics.
2. Recall the Hardy-Weinberg principle, which provides a mathematical model to study genetic variation in a population. The principle is expressed as: $p^2\; +\; 2pq\; +\; q^2\; =\; 1$, where $p$ and $q$ are the frequencies of two alleles.
3. Identify the terms in the Hardy-Weinberg equation: $p^2$ represents the frequency of homozygous dominant individuals, $2pq$ represents the frequency of heterozygous individuals, and $q^2$ represents the frequency of homozygous recessive individuals.
4. Recognize that the term $2pq$ specifically represents the frequency of heterozygous individuals in the population.
5. Conclude that the correct term for the frequency of heterozygous individuals is $2pq$.