Genetically Homogeneous or Heterogeneous Population – Distribution of the Recessive Allele in Selected Qualitative Characteristics of Selected Working-Age Population Sample

BACKGROUND: The genetic structure of each population can be explained according to the frequency of genes and their allelic variants, genotypes, and phenotypes. OBJECTIVE: To analyze the genetic heterogeneity of the working-age population from the area of Sarajevo Canton based on classic genetic markers. The studied parameters of genetic heterogeneity were assessed by the relative frequency of the recessive allele for static-morphological traits (earlobe shape, chin shape, hairiness of the middle digital phalanx, bending of the distal phalanx of the little finger and digital index) and dynamic-morphological traits (rolling of the tongue into a groove, extensibility of the proximal thumb knuckle, extensibility of the distal thumb knuckle, the way the forearms are crossed, and the way the fists are made). RESULTS: The results of the t-test showed a significant difference in the manifestation of the recessive homozygote for the observed parameters of qualitative variation in the subsamples of men and women. Only for two traits (attached earlobe and hyperextensibility of the distal knuckle of the thumb). The selected sample represent a relatively genetically homogenous population. CONCLUSION: This study serves as a valuable source of data for future research and the formation of a genetic database in Bosnia and Herzegovina.