CGC Population Genetics & Epidemiology

Question 1

Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium requires which of the following conditions?

Accepted Answer

Random mating, no mutation, no migration, no selection, and large population size

Answer

Small population size with genetic drift

Answer

Positive selection for advantageous alleles

Answer

High rates of consanguinity

Question 2

In a population where the frequency of a recessive allele (q) is 0.1, the expected carrier frequency under Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium is:

Accepted Answer

0.18 (18%)

Answer

0.01 (1%)

Answer

0.02 (2%)

Answer

0.81 (81%)

Question 3

The founder effect in genetics refers to:

Accepted Answer

Reduced genetic diversity in a population descended from a small founding group

Answer

The discovery of a new genetic variant by a researcher

Answer

The increased genetic diversity seen in hybrid populations

Answer

The founding of a genetic counseling clinic

Question 4

Genetic drift is MOST significant in:

Accepted Answer

Small, isolated populations

Answer

Large, outbred populations

Answer

Populations with high mutation rates

Answer

Populations experiencing strong positive selection

Question 5

Which term describes the increased frequency of a condition in offspring of consanguineous couples compared with the general population?

Accepted Answer

Autozygosity

Answer

Pleiotropy

Answer

Penetrance

Answer

Heterozygote advantage

Question 6

The concept of 'heterozygote advantage' explains the persistence of cystic fibrosis alleles in European populations through the hypothesis that:

Accepted Answer

CF carriers may have had increased resistance to certain infectious diseases such as cholera

Answer

CF carriers have a higher reproductive rate by chance

Answer

The CF allele mutates frequently from normal alleles

Answer

Natural selection has no effect on CF allele frequencies