18.1: Population Genetics

Question 1

What is a population

Answer 1

A population is a group of organisms of the same species that occupies a particular space at a particular time that can interbreed

Question 2

What is meant by the term ‘Gene Pool’

Answer 2

All the alleles of all the genes of all the individuals in a population at a given time

Question 3

What is meant by ‘Allelic Frequency’

Answer 3

Allelic frequency is the number of times an allele occurs within a gene pool

Question 4

What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle

Answer 4

The hardy-Weinberg principle provides a mathematical equation that can be used to calculate (predict) the frequencies of the alleles of a particular gene in a population

Question 5

5 conditions that must be met for the Hardy-Weinberg principle

Answer 5

1. No mutations arise
2. The population is isolated, no alleles can move in nor out
3. There is no selection, all alleles are equally likely to be passed to the next generation
4. The population is large
5. Mating is random

Question 6

What is the hardy weinberg calculation

Answer 6

p + q = 1.0. A = p, a = q

therefore, as there are 4 possible combinations of alleles

AA, Aa, aA, aa

p^2 + 2pq + q^2 = 1.0

Question 7

What does the Hardy Weinberg principle predict

Answer 7

The proportion of dominant and recessive alleles of any gene in the population remains the same from one generation to the next