AsparagYES or AsparagNO?

Overview

Objectives/Goals The objective is to determine the pattern of inheritance of the particular gene that allows one to smell an unpleasant odor in his or her urine after the consumption of asparagus and to use the Hardy Weinberg equation in order to find the values p, q, p^2, q^2, and 2pq. P and q are the allele frequencies for each allele. P^2 and q^2 are the frequency of homozygotes, where p^2 is the frequency of the dominant homozygotes and q^2 is the frequency of recessive homozygotes. The frequency of heterozygotes is represented by 2pq. This information will provide the knowledge required to ascertain the alleles of each tested individual to determine the genotypes. Methods/Materials I interviewed different families and constructed pedigrees of 217 individuals to find the pattern of inheritance. I wrote a letter and gave it to those who participated in my experiment to request their participation, inform them briefly on my project topic. They were told not to participate if they were allergic to asparagus. 217 subjects, male and female, from ages 10-75 answered whether or not they were able to smell an odor in their urine after eating asparagus. After collecting data, research and completing many family pedigrees, I determined the pattern of inheritance of the gene. I inserted my data into the Hardy Weinberg equation and found the q, p, q^2, p^2, and 2pq values and the number of individuals for each genotype. Results I learned that the pattern of inheritance for this trait is autosomal dominant. By finding what q^2 (.32) is first, I completed the Hardy Weinberg equation. I determined that out of the 217 individuals that I tested, 70 of them were homozygous recessive, 42 individuals were homozygous dominant, and 105 were heterozygous. Conclusions/Discussion I concluded that the pattern of inheritance for the gene that allows a person to detect an odor in his or her urine after eating asparagus is autosomal dominant. Using the pedigrees and coupling that with the Hardy Weinberg equation, the resulting genotypes were discovered. The data suggests the ability of a person to detect an odor in his or her urine is a result of a genetic pattern passed down from his or her biological parents.

Competition history

• CSEF 2012 Biochemistry/ Molecular Biology · Entry S0517

Resources

• CSEF project summary ↗

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