Understanding the Hardy-Weinberg Equation

Mr. Andersen explains the Hardy-Weinberg equation, a tool for determining gene frequencies in populations. He defines key terms like phenotype, genotype, and alleles, and uses examples to illustrate how these concepts relate to genetic traits. The video covers the calculation of allele frequencies and the application of the Hardy-Weinberg equation to solve genetic problems, emphasizing the importance of distinguishing between phenotypes and genotypes.

What is a phenotype?

• The genetic makeup of an organism

• The physical characteristics of an organism

• A type of allele

• A section of DNA

Which of the following represents a recessive allele for red hair?

• Big A

• Little R

• Big R

• Little A

What is a gene pool?

• A collection of all dominant traits in a population

• A collection of all genotypes in a population

• A collection of all phenotypes in a population

• A collection of all alleles in a population

In the Hardy-Weinberg equation, what does P squared represent?

• Frequency of homozygous recessive individuals

• Frequency of heterozygous individuals

• Frequency of homozygous dominant individuals

• Frequency of all alleles in a population

What does the term 'homozygous recessive' mean?

• Having two different alleles for a trait

• Having two dominant alleles for a trait

• Having two recessive alleles for a trait

• Having one dominant and one recessive allele for a trait

If 2% of a population has red hair, what does this percentage represent in the Hardy-Weinberg equation?

• P squared

• Q squared

• 2PQ

• P plus Q

How do you calculate the frequency of heterozygous individuals using the Hardy-Weinberg equation?

• P plus Q

• P squared

• Q squared

• 2PQ

What is the sum of P and Q in the Hardy-Weinberg equation?

• 0.5

• 1

• 1.5

• 2

If P equals 0.86, what is Q?

• 0.28

• 0.14

• 0.86

• 1

What percentage of a population is heterozygous if P is 0.86 and Q is 0.14?

• 24%

• 12%

• 36%

• 48%