genepool
Population's shared inheritance
A gene pool is the complete set of genetic information present within a population of a species at any given time.
The term captures the collective genes available for inheritance, including all variations and mutations that might be passed to future generations.
When people say a population has a limited gene pool, they mean there's not much genetic diversity, which can lead to problems from inbreeding.
The term often appears in discussions of evolution, conservation biology, and breeding programs.
Fitting to new conditions
- fitnessGood physical shape
- mutationPermanent DNA alteration
- survivalRemaining alive against odds
- speciationFormation of distinct species
phylogeny · Darwinism · microevolution · macroevolution · coevolution · descent · divergence · convergence
Gene variant at one locus
- chromosomeDNA strand carrying genes
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- genotypeOrganism's complete allele set
- phenotypeObservable characteristics of organism
locus · mutation · recombination · meiosis · mitosis · heterozygosity · homozygosity · polymorphism
Tendency to change
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- hybridizationMixing distinct genetic lines
- outcrossingBreeding unrelated same-species individuals
- speciationFormation of distinct species
population · endemic · subspecies · landrace · wild-type · bottleneck · inbreeding · monoculture
Descent from progenitors
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- descendantsThose who come after
- pedigreeRecord of descent
- bloodlineAncestry through generations
forebears · parentage · kinship · relatedness · ancestral · inherited · generational · filial
At risk of extinction
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
- fragmentationBreaking into smaller pieces
adaptation
Fitting to new conditions
speciation · phylogeny · Darwinism · microevolution · macroevolution · coevolution · descent · divergence · convergence
allele
Gene variant at one locus
- chromosomeDNA strand carrying genes
- DNAHereditary code molecule
- genotypeOrganism's complete allele set
phenotype · locus · mutation · recombination · meiosis · mitosis · heterozygosity · homozygosity · polymorphism · nucleotide
variability
Tendency to change
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- hybridizationMixing distinct genetic lines
- outcrossingBreeding unrelated same-species individuals
speciation · population · endemic · subspecies · landrace · wild-type · bottleneck · inbreeding · monoculture · admixture
lineage
Descent from progenitors
- heritageInherited cultural legacy
- descendantsThose who come after
- pedigreeRecord of descent
bloodline · forebears · parentage · kinship · relatedness · ancestral · inherited · generational · filial · consanguinity
endangered
At risk of extinction
- extinctionComplete vanishing of a species
- biodiversityRange of life forms
- preservationMaintaining something's condition
fragmentation · reintroduction · cryopreservation · ex-situ · germplasm
gene, pool, genes, pools, pooled, pooling, genetic, genetics, genetically