Question

What are the five assumptions of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium? Describe what happens when an assumption is not met Answer for each of the five assumptions. Assumption Assumption not met 1. 2. 3. 5.

Answer 1

Sure! The five assumptions of the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium are:

1. Large Population Size: When this assumption is not met, genetic drift can occur, leading to changes in allele frequencies due to random chance.

2. Random Mating: If individuals do not mate randomly, it can lead to non-random distribution of alleles in the population, which can result in changes in allele frequencies.

3. No Mutation: When there is mutation, new alleles can be introduced into the population, altering the frequencies of existing alleles.

4. No Migration: If individuals migrate into or out of the population, it can introduce new alleles or remove existing ones, causing changes in allele frequencies.

5. No Natural Selection: When natural selection acts on certain traits, it can favor individuals with specific alleles, leading to changes in allele frequencies.

Each assumption not being met can disrupt the equilibrium and result in changes to allele frequencies in the population.