Allele Frequencies

Definition

Allele frequency refers to how common an allele is in a population. It is determined by counting how many times that allele appears within the population then dividing by total number of alleles for that gene.

Related terms

Dominant Allele:

An allele that expresses its phenotypic effect even when heterozygous with a recessive allele; it masks effects of recessive alleles - just like bright lights can outshine dimmer ones at concerts!

Recessive Allele:

An allele whose characteristic only shows up when it is paired with a similar allele - like a dim light stick that can only be seen when the brighter ones are turned off.

Heterozygous:

An organism that has two different alleles for a trait. It's like holding up two different colored light sticks at the concert.