Lesson 5: Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium
What We're Going to Learn and Why it Matters
Can a population NOT evolve? If not, then what would allele frequencies look like? If we could answer these questions we could tell whether a population is evolving right now, by comparing our predictions with actual frequency of REAL alleles and REAL genotypes in a population.
Figuring out the frequency of alleles in a population can be difficult. We can't see genotypes directly? We can only infer them based on phenotypes. And different genotypes can often lead to the SAME phenotype. For example, in a simple dominant and recessive relationship, RR and Rr will code for the same phenotype.
In 1908, two scientists, Godfrey Hardy and Wilhelm Weinberg, created a mathematical model that predicted what genotype frequencies would be what a population is in a state of equilibrium and no evolution is occurring.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to
Figuring out the frequency of alleles in a population can be difficult. We can't see genotypes directly? We can only infer them based on phenotypes. And different genotypes can often lead to the SAME phenotype. For example, in a simple dominant and recessive relationship, RR and Rr will code for the same phenotype.
In 1908, two scientists, Godfrey Hardy and Wilhelm Weinberg, created a mathematical model that predicted what genotype frequencies would be what a population is in a state of equilibrium and no evolution is occurring.
By the end of this lesson, you should be able to
- use their equation to predict genotype frequencies for a population in equilibrium and
- use predictions to determine whether a population is in equilibrium or not.
Predict
(3:00 minutes)
Under what conditions would you expect the frequencies of alleles NOT to change in a population?
Answer on Google Classroom.
Under what conditions would you expect the frequencies of alleles NOT to change in a population?
Answer on Google Classroom.
Direct Instruction
(12:00 minutes)
We'll walk through a worked example together, summarize what we know, and answer clarifying questions.
We'll walk through a worked example together, summarize what we know, and answer clarifying questions.
Small Group: Building Understanding Discussion
(20:00 minutes)
Work on the Hardy-Weinberg problem set together. An answer key is available to check your work.
Work on the Hardy-Weinberg problem set together. An answer key is available to check your work.
Individual Summary
(4:00 minutes)
Take a moment to post individually on Google classroom and reflect on your learning in this lesson. You may do this in several ways.
Take a moment to post individually on Google classroom and reflect on your learning in this lesson. You may do this in several ways.
- Summarize how the Hardy-Weinberg equation is used and what it's used for.
- Speak briefly about how this learning has changed your understanding of evolution.
- Reflect on how this knowledge might be important.
- List questions or confusions about this that still remain.
- Any combination of the above.