1What is population genetics?
The study of genetic variation within populations and how it changes over time
2What does population genetics help explain?
Evolution
3What is a gene pool?
The total genetic diversity within a population
4What human example illustrates a gene pool?
ABO blood type alleles
5What is allele frequency?
The proportion of a specific allele in a population
6How is allele frequency calculated?
Number of specific alleles divided by total alleles
7What is genotype frequency?
The proportion of a specific genotype in a population
8What must genotype frequencies sum to?
1.0
9What is Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium?
A model describing a non-evolving population (allele frequencies constant)
10What does Hardy–Weinberg serve as?
A null hypothesis for evolution
11What is the Hardy–Weinberg allele equation?
p + q = 1
12What is the Hardy–Weinberg genotype equation?
p² + 2pq + q² = 1
13What do p and q represent?
Allele frequencies (p = dominant allele, q = recessive allele)
14What does p² represent?
Homozygous dominant frequency
15What does 2pq represent?
Heterozygous frequency
16What does q² represent?
Homozygous recessive frequency
17What indicates evolution is occurring?
Deviation from Hardy–Weinberg expected frequencies
18What are the four forces of evolution?
Mutation, gene flow, genetic drift, and natural selection
19What is mutation?
A random change in DNA that creates new alleles
20Why is mutation important?
It creates new genetic variation
21What is gene flow?
Movement of alleles between populations
22What effect does gene flow have?
Introduces alleles and increases genetic diversity
23What is genetic drift?
Random change in allele frequencies (strongest in small populations)
24When is genetic drift strongest?
In small populations
25What is the founder effect?
Loss of genetic diversity when a population is founded by few individuals
26Give human examples of founder effect
Amish and Ashkenazi Jewish populations
27What is a population bottleneck?
A drastic reduction in population size that reduces genetic diversity
28What animal example demonstrates a bottleneck?
Northern elephant seals
29What human event caused a bottleneck?
Out-of-Africa migration
30What is natural selection?
Differential survival and reproduction of heritable phenotypes
31What does natural selection act on?
Phenotypes
32What is balancing selection?
Maintenance of multiple alleles in a population
33What human example shows balancing selection?
Sickle cell allele in malaria regions
34What are the three modes of selection?
Directional, stabilizing, and disruptive
35What is directional selection?
Selection favouring one extreme phenotype
36What is stabilizing selection?
Selection favouring intermediate phenotypes
37What is disruptive selection?
Selection favouring both extremes
38What is sexual selection?
Selection based on mating success
39What is intrasexual selection?
Competition within one sex
40What is intersexual selection?
Mate choice by one sex
41What is inbreeding?
Mating between closely related individuals
42What is inbreeding depression?
Reduced fitness due to increased homozygosity of harmful recessive alleles
43What is speciation?
Formation of new species
44What is reproductive isolation?
Barriers preventing gene flow between populations
45What is allopatric speciation?
Speciation due to geographic isolation
46What is sympatric speciation?
Speciation without geographic separation
47What is genetic isolation?
Restriction of gene flow between populations
48What are applications of population genetics?
Conservation, personalised medicine, and disease understanding