Question 3: What factors affect allele frequencies?
Population genetics is a branch of genetics that involves the study of the frequency of particular alleles or traits in a population. Among its many crucial components, population genetics involves the principle of the Hardy-Weinberg theory or equilibrium as other authors may ascribe to the theory. The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium states that the allele frequencies in a population remain constant from one generation to the next. This principle helps predict the probability of off-springs to inherit particular traits in a population.
The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium also has what is called the Hardy-Weinberg equation. This equation simply illustrates the above stated theory, the Hardy-Weinberg theory. The equation is as below;
p + q = 1
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
Where p is the frequency of the "A" allele and q is the frequency of the "a" allele in the population. In the equation, p2 represents the frequency of the homozygous genotype AA, q2 represents the frequency of the homozygous genotype aa, and 2pq represents the frequency of the heterozygous genotype Aa.
However, the Hardy-Weinberg theory does not apply to our real life that is subject to changes. As a result, the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium only applies to ideal situations. This is to say situations that are not affected by the changes that affect populations. Some among the many factors that bring about changes include; natural selection, non-random mating, gene flow (migration), genetic drift, Artificial selection, and mutations.
The factors affecting changes in allele frequency can be divided into two categories:
Read complete notes for free here...Factors Affecting Allele Frequencies..pdf
