MathBench > Population Dynamics

Mutation and Equilibrium

>Episode 2: Hardy and Weinberg to the rescue

Hardy and Weinberg to the Rescue!

 

At home, the Assistant got out his genetics textbook, blew off the dust, dislodged a few spiders, and looked up Hardy Weinberg Equilibrium...

 




. television with scale

We have already introduced the notation of p (the proportion of dominant alleles in the population, in this case the brown-hair-allele) and q (the proportion of recessive alleles in the population, in this case the blue-hair-allele).

In this episode, the Assistant finds p and q to be a useful shorthand, allowing him to provide quick answers and avoid the ire of his supervisor.

However, the supervisor quickly finds fault again, forcing the Assistant to defend his conclusions using statistical tests.

Convinced at last, the ME asks his assistant to find out what other useful information is hiding in the math of Hardy-Weinberg.