Final answer:
Random mating is the term that means mating without regard to genotype. It's a key assumption of the Hardy-Weinberg principle which states allele and genotype frequencies in a population remain stable unless evolutionary forces are acting upon the population.
Step-by-step explanation:
The term you are asking about that means mating pairs are formed without regard to genotype is referred to as random mating. In random mating, individuals in a population pair and reproduce with any other individual according to their frequency. This concept is a critical assumption of the Hardy-Weinberg principle.
The Hardy-Weinberg principle provides a mathematical baseline for understanding the genetic structure of non-evolving populations. It assumes no mutation, migration, genetic drift, or selection occurs, and mating is random. When these conditions are met, allele and genotype frequencies remain constant across generations. However, reality shows that no population can satisfy these conditions completely, and nonrandom mating along with other evolutionary forces such as natural selection, mutation, genetic drift, and migration will disrupt this equilibrium and lead to changes in allele and genotype frequencies within a population.