The Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium principle in population genetics and factors disrupting it.

why is hardy-weinberg equilibrium uncommon?

because most populations evolve and respond to changing environments

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium (HWE) is a principle in population genetics that states that the frequency of alleles in a population will remain constant from generation to generation if certain conditions are met. These conditions include a large population size, random mating, no mutation, no migration, and no natural selection.

However, HWE is often not observed in real populations for several reasons:

1) Genetic Drift: Genetic drift refers to the random fluctuation of allele frequencies within a population due to chance events. In small populations, genetic drift can have a significant effect on the gene pool, leading to deviations from HWE.

2) Mutation: Mutations create new genetic variations and alter allele frequencies. They can introduce new alleles or change the frequency of existing alleles. This can lead to deviations from HWE.

3) Migration: The movement of individuals between populations can introduce new alleles and disrupt the genetic equilibrium that underlies HWE.

4) Natural selection: Natural selection can favor or eliminate certain alleles, leading to changes in allele frequencies and deviation from HWE.

5) Assortative mating: Assortative mating is the tendency of individuals to mate with others who are similar to them in certain traits. If mating is not random, it can lead to deviations from HWE.

In summary, Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is uncommon in real populations due to the effects of genetic drift, mutation, migration, natural selection, and assortative mating. Many of these factors can disrupt the random mating and allele frequency assumptions required for HWE.

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