Familial Hypercholesterolemia in the Afrikaner Population

What phenomenon does the higher frequency of familial hypercholesterolemia in the Afrikaner population represent?

1. Kin selection

2. Bottleneck

3. Natural selection

4. The founder effect

Answer:

4. The founder effect

Explanation:

The founder effect is a mechanism originally proposed by Sewall Wright for which a population is established by a few individuals derived from a larger population. The founder effect is used in population genetics to explain the mechanisms underlying gene flow among populations.

Familial hypercholesterolemia (FH) is an autosomal dominant disease that is five times more frequent in the Afrikaner population of South Africa compared to the original population of Europe. This higher frequency of FH in the Afrikaner population represents the founder effect.

The founder effect occurs when a new population is established by a small number of individuals who carry only a fraction of the genetic variation present in the original population. In the case of the Afrikaner population, the higher prevalence of FH is likely due to a small group of individuals who carried the genetic mutation for FH when they founded the population.

Due to the limited genetic diversity of the founding individuals, certain genetic traits, such as the mutation causing FH, can become more prevalent in the population over time. This phenomenon can lead to a higher incidence of certain genetic disorders in the population, such as familial hypercholesterolemia in the Afrikaner community.

Understanding the founder effect helps researchers and healthcare providers better comprehend the genetic factors contributing to diseases like familial hypercholesterolemia in specific populations. It underscores the importance of genetic screening and personalized medicine approaches to address the unique genetic predispositions of different population groups.