Conditions for Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
- The Hardy-Weinberg principle states that if certain conditions are met then the allele frequencies of a gene within a population will not change from one generation to the next
- There are seven conditions or assumptions that must be met for the Hardy-Weinberg principle to hold true
- The Hardy-Weinberg equation allows for the calculation of allele and genotype frequencies within populations
- It also allows for predictions to be made about how these frequencies will change in future generations
Conditions for Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium
- For the Hardy-Weinberg principle to be correctly applied to a population a series of conditions, or assumptions, need to be met
- Organisms are diploid
- Organisms reproduce by sexual reproduction only
- There is no overlap between generations, i.e. parents do not mate with offspring
- Mating is random
- The population is large
- There is no migration, mutation, or selection
- This would mean no individuals entering the population (immigration) or leaving (emigration)
- Selection refers to both natural and artificial selection
- Allele frequencies are equal in both sexes
- The Hardy-Weinberg principle can be useful when building models and making predictions, but the assumptions listed are very rarely, if ever, all present in nature
- Despite this, the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium concept can provide a useful null hypothesis when evaluating the effects of genetic changes
