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BIOL 210 Problem Set 7

Week 7, Oct 14-18

ps7.Rmd

General Instructions for Problem Sets

The goal of the problem sets is to give you practice thinking about and working with the concepts that we are covering. You may work with others to complete these assignments but should submit your own responses (not copied from someone else’s response).

Before completing a problem set, you should review the content videos for the week and it may be helpful to complete those before the related class periods as well.

Once you have answered the questions and before you turn in your responses, check your work against the answer key (linked for each problem set). If your responses are missing important information or incorrect, you need to correct them, using a different color font and explaining why your original answer was insufficient.

Use the link at the top of this page to turn in your completed assignment, including corrections.

Required Readings about human genetic variation

Introducting Evolution, Hardy Weinberg, and Population Genetics

Questions

  1. In humans, the MN blood group locus consists of 2 alleles: the M allele and the N allele. These alleles encode antigens expressed on the surface of red blood cells; the two alleles are codominant so that a heterozygote (MN) has both the M-antigen and the N-antigen. In a study in Poland, 3100 people were genotyped with the following results:

    1126 people were MM

    1446 people were MN

    528 people were NN

    Calculate each of the following:
    1. the observed genotype frequencies

    2. the allele frequencies

    3. the expected number of individuals of each genotype (assuming random mating)


    4. carry out a Chi-square test for goodness of fit to random-mating proportions (with 1 degree of freedom). Is this population in Hardy-Weinberg Proportions for this locus? Explain.


  2. Consider the data presented by Jorde and Wooding (2004; only 6 pages long). Do human populations differ genetically? How do we know?


  3. Refer to both Jorde and Wooding (2004) and/or Sankar and Cho (2002; only 2 pages long) to answer the following questions:
    1. How might we define “race”? What does this term represent? Is it useful? Harmful? Does it have any biological meaning? How might we decide whether there’s biological relevance or what role biology might play here? (I’m not looking for some right answer. I would like you to reflect on this in light of the readings and your experiences—and also as potential biologists!)


    2. What might be benefits or costs of using a term like “race” (or racial descriptors) when discussing human genetic variation? If not by using a term like race, do you think there are better ways we could describe groups of humans that differ genetically from each other?


  4. Weekly Reflection. Consider this week’s material and reply to one or more of the following prompts:
    • What was confusing or interesting to you about this week’s material?
    • Did you have any key insights while studying this material?
    • Does anything from this week’s material particularly stick with you?


When you are finished, check your responses on the key for PS7.

Remember to sign the Honor Code on your assignment.