Textbook Question
In what sense is the Hardy–Weinberg principle a null hypothesis?
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Ch. 23 - Evolutionary Processes
Freeman8th EditionBiological ScienceISBN: 9780138276263
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Table of contents
- Ch. 1 - Biology: The Study of Life13
- Ch. 2 - Water and Carbon: The Chemical Basis of Life14
- Ch.3 - Protein Structure and Function10
- Ch.4 - Nucleic Acids and the RNA World10
- Ch. 5 - An Introduction to Carbohydrates10
- Ch. 6 - Lipids, Membranes, and the First Cells11
- Ch. 7 - Inside the Cell10
- Ch. 8 - Energy and Enzymes: An Introduction to Metabolism10
- Ch. 9 - Cellular Respiration and Fermentation11
- Ch. 10 - Photosynthesis12
- Ch. 11 - Cell-Cell Interactions12
- Ch. 12 - The Cell Cycle8
- Ch. 13 - Meiosis12
- Ch. 14 - Mendel and the Gene23
- Ch. 15 - DNA and the Gene: Synthesis and Repair15
- Ch. 16 - How Genes Work16
- Ch. 17 - Transcription, RNA Processing, and Translation16
- Ch. 18 - Control of Gene Expression in Bacteria16
- Ch. 19 - Control of Gene Expression in Eukaryotes12
- Ch. 20 - The Molecular Revolution: Biotechnology, Genomics, and New Frontiers15
- Ch. 21 - Genes, Development, and Evolution12
- Ch. 22 - Evolution by Natural Selection16
- Ch. 23 - Evolutionary Processes13
- Ch. 24 - Speciation15
- Ch. 25 - Phylogenies and the History of Life13
- Ch. 26 - Bacteria and Archaea15
- Ch. 27 - Diversification of Eukaryotes16
- Ch. 28 - Green Algae and Land Plants16
- Ch. 29 - Fungi18
- Ch. 30 - An Introduction to Animals9
- Ch. 31 - Protostome Animals15
- Ch. 32 - Deuterostome Animals17
- Ch. 33 - Viruses16
- Ch. 34 - Plant Form and Function16
- Ch. 35 - Water and Sugar Transport in Plants16
- Ch. 36 - Plant Nutrition13
- Ch. 37 - Plant Sensory Systems, Signals, and Responses16
- Ch. 38 - Flowering Plant Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 39 - Animal Form and Function17
- Ch. 40 - Water and Electrolyte Balance in Animals16
- Ch. 41 - Animal Nutrition16
- Ch. 42 - Gas Exchange and Circulation16
- Ch. 43 - Animal Nervous Systems16
- Ch. 44 - Animal Sensory Systems16
- Ch. 45 - Animal Movement11
- Ch. 46 - Chemical Signals in Animals16
- Ch. 47 - Animal Reproduction and Development16
- Ch. 48 - The Immune System in Animals16
- Ch. 49 - An Introduction to Ecology15
- Ch. 50 - Behavioral Ecology16
- Ch. 51 - Population Ecology16
- Ch. 52 - Community Ecology20
- Ch. 53 - Ecosystems and Global Ecology17
- Ch. 54 - Biodiversity and Conservation Ecology18
Chapter 23, Problem 3
Why is genetic drift aptly named? Select True or False for each statement.
T/F It causes allele frequencies to drift up or down randomly.
T/F It occurs when alleles from one population drift into another.
T/F It occurs when mutations drift into a genome.
Verified step by step guidance1
Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies within a population. This randomness is why the term 'drift' is used, as allele frequencies can drift up or down without any specific direction.
Consider the statement: 'It causes allele frequencies to drift up or down randomly.' This statement is true because genetic drift involves random fluctuations in allele frequencies due to chance events, especially in small populations.
Examine the statement: 'It occurs when alleles from one population drift into another.' This statement is false because genetic drift does not involve the movement of alleles between populations; that process is known as gene flow.
Analyze the statement: 'It occurs when mutations drift into a genome.' This statement is false because genetic drift does not involve the introduction of new mutations into a genome; mutations are separate events that can introduce new alleles, but genetic drift affects existing allele frequencies.
To summarize, genetic drift is aptly named because it involves random changes in allele frequencies within a population, not the movement of alleles between populations or the introduction of mutations.
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Key Concepts
Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.
Genetic Drift
Genetic drift is a mechanism of evolution that refers to random changes in allele frequencies within a population. Unlike natural selection, which involves differential survival and reproduction, genetic drift occurs by chance and can lead to significant genetic variation over time, especially in small populations.
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Genetic Drift
Allele Frequencies
Allele frequencies represent the relative frequency of an allele at a particular genetic locus in a population. They are a fundamental concept in population genetics, as they help in understanding how populations evolve over time. Changes in allele frequencies can occur due to various factors, including genetic drift, mutation, migration, and natural selection.
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06:36Allele Frequencies
Population Genetics
Population genetics is the study of genetic variation within populations and involves the examination of allele frequency distributions and changes under the influence of evolutionary processes. It provides insights into how genetic drift, along with other factors like mutation and selection, affects the genetic structure of populations over time.
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04:26Mendelian and Population Genetics
Related Practice
Textbook Question
Why isn't inbreeding considered an evolutionary process?
a. It does not change genotype frequencies.
b. It does not change allele frequencies.
c. It does not occur often enough to be important in evolution.
d. It does not violate the assumptions of the Hardy–Weinberg principle.
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Textbook Question
True or false? Gene flow can either increase or decrease the average fitness of a population. Explain.
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Textbook Question
In a population of 2500, how many babies would you expect to have cystic fibrosis, a homozygous recessive condition, if the frequency of the dominant allele is 0.9 and the population is at Hardy–Weinberg equilibrium?
a. 0.9 × 2500 = 2250
b. 2 × 0.9 × 0.1 × 2500 = 450
c. 0.9 × 0.1 × 2500 = 225
d. 0.1 x 0.1 x 2500 = 25
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Textbook Question
In the 1700s and 1800s, royalty in Europe often married their close relatives; furthermore, recessive genetic diseases such as hemophilia showed up much more often among royals than in the general population. Explain the likely connection.
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