Populations Flashcards
What is a species?
Aa group of similar organisms that can reproduce to give fertile offspring.
What is a population?
A group of organisms of the same species occupying a particular space at a particular time that can potentially interbreed and produce fertile offspring.
What is a gene pool?
The collection of genes within an interbreeding population at a particular time.
What is allele frequency?
How often different alleles occur in the gene pool of a population.
Why may gene pools change?
Natural selection → Characteristics change → New species
What is the Hardy-Weinberg principle?
The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that if certain conditions are met then the allele frequencies of a gene within a population will not change from one generation to the next.
What are the equations for the Hardy-Weinberg principe?
p = dominant
q = recessive
p + q =1
p² + q² + 2pq = 1
What are the assumptions of the Hardy-Weinberg principe?
- Organisms are diploid
- Organisms reproduce by sexual reproduction only
- There is no overlap between generations, i.e. parents do not mate with offspring
- Mating is random
- The population is large
- There is no migration, mutation, or selection
- Allele frequencies are equal in both sexes
