BIOD210 MODULE 3 EXAM REQUIRES
RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER
PRACTICE GUIDE UPDATED 2026 TESTED
SOLUTIONS
⫸ What does the gene pool consist of? Answer: All the alleles of every
gene in a population.
⫸ What is polymorphism? Answer: A condition where a gene exists as
two or more alleles in a population, displaying variation.
⫸ What are monomorphic traits? Answer: Traits that are invariable
within a population, with an allele frequency of 1.
⫸ How do you quantify polymorphism at the genetic level? Answer:
Using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellites.
⫸ What is the average occurrence of SNPs in the human genome?
Answer: About once every 1,000 nucleotides, resulting in roughly 4 to 5
million SNPs per individual genome.
⫸ What are microsatellites? Answer: Short repetitive sequences that
vary in length from individual to individual.
,⫸ How is allele frequency calculated? Answer: Number of copies of an
allele in a population divided by the total number of alleles for that gene
in the population.
⫸ What is the genotype frequency? Answer: The number of individuals
with a particular genotype in a population divided by the total number of
individuals in that population.
⫸ What is the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE)? Answer: A
mathematical expression that relates allele and genotype frequencies in a
population.
⫸ What are the conditions for HWE to hold true? Answer: No genetic
drift, no new mutation, no migration, random mating, and no natural
selection.
⫸ What is genetic drift? Answer: Random changes in allele frequencies
from generation to generation, which can lead to the loss or fixation of
alleles.
⫸ How does population size affect genetic drift? Answer: In small
populations, new mutations are more likely to be fixed; in large
populations, new mutations are more likely to be eliminated.
⫸ What is the expected number of new mutations in a population?
Answer: Calculated as 2Nμ, where N is the number of individuals and μ
is the mutation rate.
,⫸ What is the probability of fixation of a new allele due to genetic drift?
Answer: 1/2N, where N is the population size.
⫸ What is the time to fixation (t) for an allele? Answer: t = 4N,
meaning it takes longer in larger populations.
⫸ What is the founder effect? Answer: When a small group separates
from a larger population and establishes a new population.
⫸ What is the bottleneck effect? Answer: When a population
dramatically reduces in size, leading to a loss of genetic variation.
⫸ What is the mutation rate? Answer: The probability that a gene will
be altered by a new mutation, typically expressed as the number of new
mutations per generation.
⫸ What factors influence mutation rate? Answer: Species, cell type,
chromosome location, and gene size.
⫸ What is the typical range for mutation rates? Answer: Mutation rates
are commonly in the range of 10-5 to 10-6 per generation.
⫸ What factors influence mutation rates? Answer: Species, cell type,
chromosome location (hotspots), and gene size (target size).
, ⫸ How does mutation affect allele frequencies over time? Answer:
Mutation can convert allele A into allele a, affecting allele frequencies in
a population.
⫸ What is the formula for the change in frequency of allele a after one
generation? Answer: Δq = µp, where µ is the mutation rate of A to a and
p is the frequency of allele A.
⫸ What does pt represent in the context of mutation? Answer: pt is the
frequency of allele A after t generations.
⫸ What is gene flow? Answer: The transfer of alleles from a donor
population to a recipient population, changing its gene pool.
⫸ What is a conglomerate population? Answer: The new population
formed from the recipient population and the migrants.
⫸ What must be known to calculate allele frequencies in a
conglomerate? Answer: The original allele frequencies in the donor and
recipient populations and the proportion of the conglomerate population
that is due to migrants.
⫸ What is the formula for calculating the change in allele frequency in a
conglomerate? Answer: Δp = m(pD - pR), where pD is the allele
frequency in the donor population, pR is the allele frequency in the
recipient population, and m is the proportion of migrants.
RESPONDUS LOCKDOWN BROWSER
PRACTICE GUIDE UPDATED 2026 TESTED
SOLUTIONS
⫸ What does the gene pool consist of? Answer: All the alleles of every
gene in a population.
⫸ What is polymorphism? Answer: A condition where a gene exists as
two or more alleles in a population, displaying variation.
⫸ What are monomorphic traits? Answer: Traits that are invariable
within a population, with an allele frequency of 1.
⫸ How do you quantify polymorphism at the genetic level? Answer:
Using single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and microsatellites.
⫸ What is the average occurrence of SNPs in the human genome?
Answer: About once every 1,000 nucleotides, resulting in roughly 4 to 5
million SNPs per individual genome.
⫸ What are microsatellites? Answer: Short repetitive sequences that
vary in length from individual to individual.
,⫸ How is allele frequency calculated? Answer: Number of copies of an
allele in a population divided by the total number of alleles for that gene
in the population.
⫸ What is the genotype frequency? Answer: The number of individuals
with a particular genotype in a population divided by the total number of
individuals in that population.
⫸ What is the Hardy-Weinberg Equilibrium (HWE)? Answer: A
mathematical expression that relates allele and genotype frequencies in a
population.
⫸ What are the conditions for HWE to hold true? Answer: No genetic
drift, no new mutation, no migration, random mating, and no natural
selection.
⫸ What is genetic drift? Answer: Random changes in allele frequencies
from generation to generation, which can lead to the loss or fixation of
alleles.
⫸ How does population size affect genetic drift? Answer: In small
populations, new mutations are more likely to be fixed; in large
populations, new mutations are more likely to be eliminated.
⫸ What is the expected number of new mutations in a population?
Answer: Calculated as 2Nμ, where N is the number of individuals and μ
is the mutation rate.
,⫸ What is the probability of fixation of a new allele due to genetic drift?
Answer: 1/2N, where N is the population size.
⫸ What is the time to fixation (t) for an allele? Answer: t = 4N,
meaning it takes longer in larger populations.
⫸ What is the founder effect? Answer: When a small group separates
from a larger population and establishes a new population.
⫸ What is the bottleneck effect? Answer: When a population
dramatically reduces in size, leading to a loss of genetic variation.
⫸ What is the mutation rate? Answer: The probability that a gene will
be altered by a new mutation, typically expressed as the number of new
mutations per generation.
⫸ What factors influence mutation rate? Answer: Species, cell type,
chromosome location, and gene size.
⫸ What is the typical range for mutation rates? Answer: Mutation rates
are commonly in the range of 10-5 to 10-6 per generation.
⫸ What factors influence mutation rates? Answer: Species, cell type,
chromosome location (hotspots), and gene size (target size).
, ⫸ How does mutation affect allele frequencies over time? Answer:
Mutation can convert allele A into allele a, affecting allele frequencies in
a population.
⫸ What is the formula for the change in frequency of allele a after one
generation? Answer: Δq = µp, where µ is the mutation rate of A to a and
p is the frequency of allele A.
⫸ What does pt represent in the context of mutation? Answer: pt is the
frequency of allele A after t generations.
⫸ What is gene flow? Answer: The transfer of alleles from a donor
population to a recipient population, changing its gene pool.
⫸ What is a conglomerate population? Answer: The new population
formed from the recipient population and the migrants.
⫸ What must be known to calculate allele frequencies in a
conglomerate? Answer: The original allele frequencies in the donor and
recipient populations and the proportion of the conglomerate population
that is due to migrants.
⫸ What is the formula for calculating the change in allele frequency in a
conglomerate? Answer: Δp = m(pD - pR), where pD is the allele
frequency in the donor population, pR is the allele frequency in the
recipient population, and m is the proportion of migrants.
