Chapter 7:

Population Genetics
 Population Genetics
The study on genetic composition of biological
populations, and the changes in genetic composition
that result from the operation of various factors,
including natural selection
Two important concepts  gene pool
 gene frequency

Population
Any group of members of the
same species in a given
geographical area who are
potentially capable of mating
and producing fertile offspring
Gene pool  The total number of genes of every individual in an
interbreeding population

Collection
of gametes

Gene pool with a constant gene composition (does not change from
generation to generation)  static

Static gene pool  variation in the population does not cause any
evolutionary change
 In nature, the gene composition of a gene pool is not
constant, changes from generation to generation
 Selection the agent of change that acts on phenotype
 A phenotype favoured has higher fitness value at a
selective advantage
 Changes in the composition of gene pool  evolutionary
change of population
E.g. all 1000 individuals of a hypothetical population have their genotypes
tested with respect to single locus, with the following results:

Genotype Number Genotype

Frequency
AA 490 0.49
Aa 420 0.42
aa 90 0.09
Total 1000

Genotype frequency – proportion of individuals in a population with a

specific genotype

-E. g : The genotype frequency for the Aa genotype is 420/ 1000 = 0.42
Allele frequency- proportion of any specific allele in a population
-Each individual, being diploid, has two alleles at each genetic locus
-Let say, there are 1000 individuals, we must account for a total of
2000 alleles.

490 AA individuals have 980 A alleles and 420 Aa individuals have 420
A alleles , for total of 1400 A alleles in the population. Total number
of a alleles in the population is 420 + 90 +90 =600

The number of allele A = (490 x 2) + 420 = 1400

The number of allele a = (90 x 2) + 420 = 600

Allele Number Allele Frequency

A 1400 0.7 1400/2000
a 600 0.3
600/2000
Total 2000
Phenotype frequency - proportion of individuals in a population with
a specific phenotype

Phenotype Number Phenotype

Frequency
Dominant 910 0.91 910/1000
Recessive 90 0.09
90/1000

Total 1000

Dominant phenotype is the sum of two genotypes, AA and Aa,

490 + 420 = 910
Significance of Population Genetic
• Allow prediction of gene frequencies in future
generations.
• Define how or why genetic variation is maintained
or lost in populations.
• Is critical to understand the evolutionary process.
• To understand the genetic basis and probabilities
for disease transmission.
• It states that - the allele frequencies of a gene in a
population will remain constant, as long as
evolutionary forces are not acting the gene
pool frequencies will remain unchanged.
• Hardy - Weinberg equation:
- to discover the probable genotype frequencies in
a population
- to track their changes from one generation to
another.

Hardy – Weinberg Principle

 Hardy – Weinberg Equation

p² + 2pq + q² = 1
Basic relation:
A = dominant allele
a = recessive allele
p+q=1 homozygous
Where p = frequency of A allele dominant
q = frequency of a allele heterozygous
p² + 2pq + q² = 1 dominant
Where p²= frequency of AA genotype
2pq = frequency of Aa genotype
q² = frequency of aa genotype

Homozygous
recessive

REMEMBER___
Question:
1.In a population, one in 25000 new born babies will
have sickle cell anemia. Those patient are having
homozygous recessive genotype. Determine
(a) frequency of recessive gene
(b) frequency of dominant gene
(c) frequency of carriers
(d) number of carriers in 25000 new born babies.
Solution:
(a) q² = 1/25000
= 0.00004
frequency of recessive gene, q = √0.00004
= 0.0063
(b) Frequency of dominant gene,
p=1–q
= 1 – 0.0063
= 0.9937
(c) Frequency of carrier = frequency of
heterozygous genotype
= 2pq
= 2 × 0.9937 × 0.0063
= 0.0125
(d) Number of carriers = 0.0125 × 25000
= 313
2. It was found that peas able to produce seeds with yellow
colour (Y) and green colour (y). There are 300 seeds which
were randomly selected and distributed into three samples.
The result shown:
Sample 1 90/100 yellow
Sample 2 90/100 yellow
Sample 3 89/100 yellow
If the populations of peas are growth according to the
Hardy – Weinberg equilibrium, what is the frequency of
seeds that have heterozygous yellow colour?
Solution:
Yellow seeds caused by dominant allele (p).
There were 10, 10 and 11 seeds with green
colour from sample 1, 2, and 3.
Frequency of green colour genotype, q²
= (10 + 10 + 11)/300
= 0.1033
Frequency of green colour allele, q
= √0.1033
= 0.3214
p = 1 – 0.3214
= 0.6786
Frequency of seeds with heterozygous
yellow
= 2pq
= 2 × 0.3214 × 0.6786
= 0.4362
 Conditions that must be true for H-W equilibrium
to apply:
 - population must be large
 - mating must be totally random
 - no mutations
 - no natural selection Conditions
 - no migration (no gene flow)

one of these conditions is broken the population may not

be in H-W equilibrium.
Natural populations probably seldom meet all of these
conditions;
H-W provides a nice model to study evolution via deviations
from H-W equilibrium.
 Population must be large

With the smaller population size, it will increase

inbreeding. With more inbreeding, increase
homozygote frequency, reduce fitness of population.

Large
population
size

Genetic drift A change in allele frequency due to chance/random

events
 Mating must be totally random

Nonrandom mating occurs when individuals have

mating preferences rather than randomly mating with
any other individual in the population.

In random
mating, each
individual will
has an equal
chance to mate
with another.
 No mutations

Mutations introduce new alleles that can be

selectively advantageous, but most are harmful.
But normally the mutation rate are sufficiently low and
not to affect the expected frequencies significantly.

x
 No natural selection

Natural selection If individuals having certain genes

are better able to produce mature offspring than those
without them, the frequency of those genes will increase.

No natural selection no selection of favorable trait. All

individual equally fertile and same potential to reproduce.
 No migration

Migration causes gene flow. Gene flow occurs when alleles

are exchanged between two populations.
Gene flow occurs when individuals migrate (immigrate or
emigrate) and breed in a new population.