High School

What is the general relationship between population size and how rapidly the allele frequencies change over time?

A. There really doesn't seem to be a general relationship. The frequencies change pretty rapidly regardless of population size.
B. In general, the larger the population size, the more rapidly allele frequencies change.
C. In general, the larger the population size, the more slowly allele frequencies change.

Answer :

Final answer:

The general relationship between population size and how rapidly the allele frequencies change over time is that larger populations tend to experience slower changes in allele frequencies compared to smaller populations.

Explanation:

In population genetics, the allele frequency refers to the proportion of a particular allele in a population. The change in allele frequencies over time is influenced by various factors, including population size.

Genetic drift, which is the random change in allele frequencies due to chance events, is more pronounced in smaller populations. This is because chance events can have a greater impact on the genetic makeup of a small population compared to a large population.

On the other hand, in larger populations, genetic drift is less significant, and other factors such as natural selection and gene flow play a more prominent role in shaping allele frequencies.

Therefore, the general relationship between population size and how rapidly the allele frequencies change over time is that larger populations tend to experience slower changes in allele frequencies compared to smaller populations.

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