Population genetics

In this talk, we turn our attention to Population Genetics, framing our discussion around genetic variation within and between populations, the forces that shape this variation such as mutation, selection, genetic drift, and gene flow, and the role of Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in understanding allele frequency stability. We will discuss how real populations are structured rather than perfectly randomly mating, leading to genetic differentiation and inbreeding. The lecture will also explain how population genetics informs evolutionary studies and has important applications in human health, conservation, and forensics.. Population genetics studies genetic variation within and among populations and how evolutionary forces shape this variation. By examining genetic differences at the population level, researchers understand evolution, disease susceptibility, and adaptation. Most individuals share a similar genetic structure, but variation exists as different alleles—alternative gene versions. Genotype is an individual's allele combination, while phenotype is the observable result influenced by genes and environment. Central to population genetics is the concept of allele frequencies—the proportion of each allele at a locus in a population. These frequencies remain stable if the population is large, mating is random, and there is no migration, mutation, or selection. Under these conditions, the population is in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium, with