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Population

A group of individuals of the same species
occupying a given area that can freely
interbreed and produce fertile offspring in
nature.
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Population genetics emphasizes
the extensive genetic variation within
population and
recognizes the importance of quantitative
characters.

Population genetics is concerned with
determining the relative properties of the
various genotypes present in a population
(genotype frequency), from which can be
calculated the relative proportions of alleles in
the population (allele frequency).
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There are 3 different types of population;
Natural population
Usually involves evolution.
The composition of the gene pool changes in the
gene frequency.
Controlled population
Population set up in the laboratory by selective
breeding under experimental condition.
Mathematical population
Hypothetical population based on the assumption
that the population shows genetic equilibrium, that
is frequencies of genes are constant from
generation to generation.
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TERMS
Gene pool
The total aggregate of genes in a population at any one time is
called the populations gene pool.

Alleles
Each kind of gene in the pool usually exists in two or more slightly
different molecular forms called alleles
The gene pool consists of all alleles at all gene loci in all individuals
of the population.
For a diploid species, each locus is represented twice in the genome
of an individual who may be either homozygous or heterozygous for
those homologous loci.
Homozygous individuals have two identical alleles for a given
character, whereas heterozygous individuals have two different
alleles for that character.
Different combinations of alleles leads to variations in phenotype.
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TERMS
Alleles

Each kind of gene in the pool usually exists in two or more slightly
different molecular forms called alleles

The gene pool consists of all alleles at all gene loci in all individuals
of the population.

For a diploid species, each locus is represented twice in the genome
of an individual who may be either homozygous or heterozygous for
those homologous loci.

Homozygous individuals have two identical alleles for a given
character, whereas heterozygous individuals have two different
alleles for that character.

Different combinations of alleles leads to variations in phenotype.
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TERM
Phenotypes

Phenotypes are the outcome of the genes expression.

A pool of genetic resources is shared by all members of
a population and passed on to the next generation.

A deviation from the stability of a gene pool results in
evolution, so individuals do not evolve but populations
do.
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The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
In 1908, G. H. Hardy (an English
mathemathician) and W. Weinberg (a
German physician) independently
identified a mathematical relationship
between alleles and genotypes in
populations. This relationship has been
called the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium and
it concerns allele frequency
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Allele frequency
Allele frequency is the percentage of organisms in a
population carrying a particular allele.

The relationship states that :
The frequency of alleles and genotypes in a population will
remain constant from generation to generation provided certain
conditions are met or in other words it means that the population
is in genetic equilibrium.

If a population is not evolving, it is in genetic equilibrium
and the allele frequency do not change.

When a population evolves, the allele frequency in the
population will change
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Hardy-Weinberg Law
For a population , it must satisfy five main conditions:

very large population size so that genetic drift can be avoided (chance
fluctuation in the gene that can cause phenotype frequencies to change
over time).

no migration that cause gene flow due to immigration into or emigration
out from the population

no net mutations because by changing one allele into another, mutation
alter the gene pool

random mating because if individuals pick mates with certain genotypes,
the random mixing of gametes required for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
does not occur

all genotypes are equally fertile so that no natural selection is taking
place
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Hardy-Weinberg Equation.
Genotype frequency
the ratio of number of individuals with certain genotype in a
population.

Phenotype frequency
the ratio of number of individuals that have certain phenotype in
a population

For a gene locus of diploid species where only two
alleles occur in a population, population geneticists use
p - the frequency of the dominant allele
q - the frequency of the recessive allele
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Example 1
A wildflower population with two varieties
contrasting in flower colour. An allele for pink
flowers which will be symbolize by A are
completely dominant to an allele for white
flowers, symbolized by a.

If the frequency of allele A is 0.8 or 80%, the
frequency of allele a must be 0.2 or 20%.

Note that p + q = 1; the combined frequencies of all
possible alleles must account for 100% of the genes
for that locus in the population.
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If p + q = 1, then p = 1 - q or q = 1 - p

When gametes combine their alleles to form
zygotes, the probability of generating an AA
genotype or individuals of homozygous
dominant is p2 and for aa genotype or
individuals of homozygous recessive is q2.

There are two ways in which an Aa genotype
can arise, depending on which parent
contributes the dominant allele. Therefore, the
frequency of heterozygous individuals in the
population is 2pq.
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If we have calculated the frequencies of all
possible genotypes correctly, they should add
up to 1:
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
frequency frequency of frequency
of AA Aa + aA of aa

In mathematical terms p + q = 1 is the
mathematical equation of probability and
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1 is the binomial expansion of
that equation, in this case:
p + q = 1
(p + q)2 = 12
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
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To summarize

p = dominant allele frequency
q = recessive allele frequency
p2 = homozygous dominant
genotype
2pq = heterozygous genotype
q2 = homozygous recessive
genotype
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It is possible to calculate all allele, genotype,
dominant and recessive phenotype frequencies
using the expressions :

allele frequency, p + q = 1
genotype frequency, p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
dominant phenotype frequency = p2 + 2pq
recessive phenotype frequency = q2

For each individual of dominant phenotype, it
must have at least one dominant allele (AA or
Aa ) and for each individual of recessive
phenotype, all of it alleles must be recessive or
aa.
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EXAMPLE 2
In a population of 500 wildflowers, 20 are
white flowers or having recessive
phenotype and the rest have dominant
phenotype. If the alleles involved are A
and a and there are 320 AA plants and
160 Aa plants, what are the frequencies of
Aa genotype individuals, dominant and
recessive phenotype individuals ?
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Heterozygous individual showing normal
phenotypic characteristics but possessing
a recessive gene capable of producing
some form of metabolic disorder when
present in homozygous recessives are
described as carriers.

For a population to be in Hardy-Weinberg
equilibrium, it must obey the principle of
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
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Since these are diploid organisms, there are a
total of 1000 copies of genes for flower colour in
the population

gene pool consists of = 2 ( 20 + 160 + 320 )
= 1000 alleles
total of allele a = 2 x 20 (for aa plants)
+ 160 x 1 (for Aa
plants)
= 40 + 160
= 200
frequency of allele a = 200 / 1000
= 0.2
or q = 0.2
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total of allele A = 2 x 320 (for AA
plants)
+ 160 x 1 (for Aa
plants)
= 640 + 160
= 800

frequency of allele A = 800 / 1000
= 0.8
or p = 0.8

frequency of AA genotype = 320 / 500
= 0.64
or p2 = 0.82
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frequency of Aa genotype = 160 / 500
= 0.32
or 2pq = 2 x 0.8 x 0.2
= 0.32

frequency of aa genotype = 20 / 500
= 0.04
or q2 = 0.22
= 0.04

Frequency of aa individuals = q2
q2 = 20 / 500
q2 = 0.04
q = 0.2
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using the equation p + q = 1
p = 1 q
p = 1 0.2
p = 0.8

frequency of Aa individuals = 2pq
= 2 x 0.8 x 0.2
= 0.32

frequency of dominant phenotype = p2 + 2pq
= 0.64 + 0.32
= 0.96
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frequency of recessive phenotype = q2
= 0.04
If this population is in Hardy-Weinberg
equilibrium,
p2 + 2pq + q2 = 1
0.64 + 0.32 + 0.04 = 1

So, this population obey the Hardy-
Weinberg principle
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EXAMPLE 3
The colour of soya beans is controlled by
a pair of codominant alleles. CGCG
genotype produces gold colour, CGCD
produces light green and CDCD produces
dark green. A sample of soya beans
consists of 8 gold beans, 32 light green
beans and 160 dark green beans. What is
the frequency of allele CG?
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CGCG = 8
CGCD = 32
CDCD = 160
Total of soya beans = 200

Total of all alleles = 2 x 200
= 400

total of allele CG = 2 x 8 + 32 x 1
= 48

frequency of allele CG = 48 / 400
= 0.12
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In this case, we cannot use CG or CD as a
dominant allele because both are codominant
alleles. Therefore the usage of CDCD as
dominant genotype or as p2 and CGCG as
recessive genotype or as q2 is incorrect and
we cannot get the answer because it doesnt
obey the Hardy-Weinberg principle or p2 + 2pq
+ q2 1. So as a reminder, only in the case of
dominant and recessive alleles we can use
Hardy-Weinberg calculation.
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END OF THIS TOPIC