Question

what happens when a population is in hardy-weinberg equilibrium?
a. the allele frequency increases.
b. the gene pool gets larger over time.
c. the phenotype frequency does not change.
d. the alleles are distributed evenly.

Explanation:

The Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium states that in a large, randomly - mating population with no migration, mutation, or selection, the allele and genotype frequencies remain constant over generations. This implies that the phenotype frequency (which is related to the genotype frequency) does not change.

• Option A: In Hardy - Weinberg equilibrium, allele frequencies remain constant, not increase.
• Option B: The size of the gene pool (in terms of allele and genotype frequencies) remains constant, not get larger over time.
• Option D: Alleles are not necessarily distributed evenly. The equilibrium is about the constancy of frequencies, not an even distribution.

Answer:

C. The phenotype frequency does not change.