Hardy-Weinberg Principle

• What is a species defined as?


  A group of similar organisms that can reproduce to give fertile offspring
• Define population?


  A group of organisms of the same species living in a particular area at a particular time - so they have the potential to interbreed
• Species can exist as what?

  one or more populations

  • eg black bear - parts of america and parts of canada
• What is the gene pool?


  The complete range of alleles present in a population
• define allele frequency?


  How often an allele occurs in a population
• What is allele frequency usually given as?


  A percentage of the total population
• What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle ?


  • a mathematical model
• What does the Hardy-Weinberg principle predict?


  That the frequencies of alleles in a population won't change from one generation to the next
• the Hardy-Weinberg principle prediction is only true under what?


  CERTAIN CONDITIONS

  • large population
  • no immigration or emigration
  • no mutation
  • no natural selection
  • MUST BE RANDOM MATING - all possible genotypes can breed with all others
• What can the Hardy-Weinberg principle be used to do?


  Calculate the frequency of particular alleles, genotypes and phenotypes within populations
• What can the equations also be used to test?

  Whether or not the Hardy-Weinberg principle applies to particular ALLELS in particular POPULATIONS

  • if frequencies do change between generations in a large population then there is an INFLUENCE OF SOME KIND