Hereditary methemoglobinemia, an autosomal recessive trait, occurs in Alaskan Eskimos with a frequency of 0.09%.

Hereditary methemoglobinemia, an autosomal recessive trait, occurs in Alaskan Eskimos with a frequency of 0.09%. Determine the genetic structure of the population for this trait.

To solve the problem, you must use the Hardy-Weinberg law:

p + q = 1 (100%), where p and q are the frequencies of the dominant and recessive alleles, respectively.

p ^ 2 + 2pq + q ^ 2 = 1 (100%), where p ^ 2 is the proportion of homozygotes for the dominant trait, 2pq is the proportion of heterozygotes, q ^ 2 is the proportion of homozygotes for the recessive trait.

1) We know the frequency of occurrence of homozygotes, i.e. q ^ 2. From here we find q = 0.3% or 0.003.

2) Find p = 1 – 0.003 = 0.997.

3) The genetic structure of the population is as follows:

p ^ 2 = 0.994009, or 99.4%

2pq = 0.003 * 0.994 * 2 = 0.005982, or 0.59%

q ^ 2 = 0.000009, or 0.09%.

In total, this gives approximately 100%.

Answer: 99.4% of the population are healthy, 0.59% are carriers, about 0.09% are sick.