Exp:1`

Priyadarshi Ranjan

06MS20

Dated:13.8.07 & 21.8.07

Purpose: The purpose of this activity is to learn how Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium is established
in populations and what assumptions and conditions are necessary to reach equilibrium..

Introduction: This exercise is designed to help achieve an understanding of the Hardy-Weinberg

Equilibrium without recourse to algebra. What is Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium? In a population
containing the genotypes of BB, OO, and BO, the frequency of BB will be p2, the frequency of
OO will be q2, and the frequency of BO will be 2 pq at equilibrium, where p is the frequency of
B and q is the frequency of O. By the Hardy-Weinberg law, a randomly-mating population will
eventually reach to these frequencies after one time mating and be at this equilibrium as long as
there are no selection pressures on the population.

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium is only achieved if:

a. there is a large population

b. there is random mating

c. there is no selection for a particular allele

d. there are no mutations

e. there is no migration or isolation

Keywords:

"homozygote," "heterozygote," "genotype," "diploid," "haploid," "gamete” and "allele”.

Materials:

• 250 Blue thermocol balls with 'B' alleles

• 250 Orange thermocol balls with 'B' alleles

Initial Preparation: To create a gene pool of 500 (1:1)in a bawl mix the two coloured balls
thoroughly.

Preparation:

1. From the gene pool, select 2 balls 10 times so that you have 5 sets of alleles just like the
genotypes of diploid organisms.
 2. Count how many 'B' alleles you have and how many 'O' alleles you have.

3. After you finishes adding up the total count for the class, record the class totals in your
chart.

4. Calculate the frequencies of B and O in your class and record.

5. After you counts the total BB, OO, and BO, combinations in the class, record these
numbers in your chart.

6. Calculate the frequencies of each of these combinations in your class and record.

7. Now create a gene pool of 500(according to the new allele frequency by adding and
subtracting as per reqd. to create new generation as per allelic frequency found in earlier
generation in a bawl mix the two coloured balls thoroughly.
8. Again, pair up your 10 alleles randomly so that you have 5 pairs.

9. Repeat steps at least 3 more time or until your frequencies seem to be remaining stable.

Observation :

Figure 1 Allelic and genetic frequencies Population size

500

Figure 2 Comparing Allelic and Genotypic G0 Generation( 2 different

views):
 0.6 0.6
0.5 0.5
500 500
0.4 0.4
400 400
0.3 0.3
200 200
0.2 0.2
100 100
0.1 0.1
0 0
B O BB BO OO B O BB BO OO

Figure 3 Comparing Allelic and Genotypic G1 Generation( 2

different views)

0.8
0.8
0.7
0.7
0.6 500
0.6 500
0.5
0.5 400 400
0.4 0.4
200 200
0.3 0.3
0.2 100 0.2 100
0.1 0.1
0 0
B O BB BO OO B O BB BO OO

Figure 4 Allelic frequencies G4 Generation

In the first figure the allelic and genotypic

1 frequencies of B and BB respectively increases with
0.8 generation where as the allelic and genotypic
500
0.6 frequencies of O and OO decreases ,we find that
400
0.4 with increase in generation we do not find stability
100
0.2 in population hence there must be selection
0
pressures.
B O
In figures 2 & 3: we find that it is not clear whether
stability is maintained or not when size of sample is
increased. More or less the allelic frequency B is favored. In figure 4 it is clear that our
observation is biased towards B. There is severe selection against orange balls.

The observed and experimental values differ of allelic(B,O) and genotypic (BB,OO) varies a lot.
We have failed to keep the assumptions of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.

Possible extensions

The effect of sample size

One important assumption of the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium is that the population is very
large, so large that there is no sampling error. This is a condition of the equilibrium that is
frequently not met, and in small populations there may be considerable deviations from expected
values. In a population of this exercise, the size is already fairly small, and you will sometimes
get some fairly noticeable changes in genotype frequencies from one generation to the next. But
because this model is set up with an invariant frequency of haploid gametes, that can always
correct itself in the next generation. With the decrease in size of population the error increases.

This kind of change in gene frequency due only to sampling error in small populations is called
"genetic drift," and the effect of splitting off a small population with significantly different gene
frequencies is called the "founder effect." Once a new founder population is formed, if it grows
again to a larger population less subject to sampling error, the new population can again maintain
the new gene frequencies because of Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium.

Selection and mutation :

As this simulation is set up, it is difficult to simulate selection without being misleading. That is
because the energy for natural selection comes from the production of excess offspring. There
are no excess offspring in this model - each generation produces exactly enough offspring to
replace the parents. If you select against one of the genes by preventing it from reproducing, the
population will decrease in size.

Size Matters:

From figure No.1 shows clearly favors Blue balls with increase in generation the no. of orange
balls decrease. One possible explanation is that the blue one were bigger in size compare to the
orange ones. Even the orange having large size where odd in shape hence were not easy to catch.
As we were not picking the balls single but in pair the larger size was favored.

Conclusion: Certainly conditions did not favor randomness. The selection pressure favors ‘B’.
The no. of heterozygote’s are more or less same. But certainly the conditions are not favoring for
survival for ‘O’. Soon it will be evident that allelic frequency ‘B’ only survive and thrives.

Acknowledgement:
I thank to my N.G.Prasad for insight discussions and helping me to understand evolution and my
group mates for their help.

Reference:

www.google.com

http://users.rcn.com/jkimball.ma.ultranet/BiologyPages/H/Hardy_Weinberg.html#When_the_Har
dy-Weinberg_Law_Fails_to_Apply