Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium

Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium is a principle in genetics that describes a stable state in a large, randomly mating population where the frequencies of genes and traits remain constant over generations, provided no external forces (like mutation, migration, or selection) act on them. It serves as a baseline model to understand how populations evolve. If observed genetic frequencies differ from this equilibrium, it suggests that some factors are influencing the population’s genetic makeup. Essentially, it helps scientists determine whether evolutionary changes are occurring in a population over time.