Equation that describes genetic balance within a population.
It may be stated as follows: In a large, random-mating population, the proportion of dominant and recessive genes (see dominance and recessiveness ) tends to remain constant from generation to generation unless outside forces act to change it. Forces that can disturb this natural balance are selection , mutation , gene flow , and natural selection . Certain gene-controlled traits are selected for or against by the partners involved. The law is used to determine whether the number of harmful mutations in a population is increasing.