Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

This lecture explains the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, a model that describes how allele frequencies in a population remain constant over generations under certain conditions. It covers the impact of genetic drift, bottleneck effects, and founder effects on allele frequencies. The instructor illustrates how random mating, absence of selection, no mutation, large population size, and no gene flow are essential for the equilibrium. Examples include the phenylketonuria genetic disorder and the Tristan da Cunha population. The lecture also discusses the impact of selective breeding on genetic diversity in dog breeds. It concludes by highlighting how deviations from the equilibrium can lead to significant changes in allele frequencies, especially in small populations.