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Founder Effect - A phenomenon that is observed when a small subgroup of a larger POPULATION establishes itself as a separate and isolated entity. The subgroup's GENE POOL carries only a fraction of the genetic diversity of the parental population resulting in an increased frequency of certain diseases in the subgroup, especially those diseases known to be autosomal recessive. |
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Gene Frequency - The proportion of one particular in the total of all ALLELES for one genetic locus in a breeding POPULATION. |
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Gene Order - The sequential location of genes on a chromosome. |
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Gene Pool - The total genetic information possessed by the reproductive members of a POPULATION of sexually reproducing organisms. |
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Genetic Load - The relative amount by which the average fitness of a POPULATION is lowered, due to the presence of GENES that decrease survival, compared to the GENOTYPE with maximum or optimal fitness. (From Rieger et al., Glossary of Genetics: Classical and Molecular, 5th ed) |
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Genotype - The genetic constitution of the individual; the characterization of the genes. |
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Hybrid Vigor - The adaptive superiority of the heterozygous GENOTYPE with respect to one or more characters in comparison with the corresponding HOMOZYGOTE. |
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Inheritance Patterns - The different ways GENES and their ALLELES interact during the transmission of genetic traits that effect the outcome of GENE EXPRESSION. |
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Linkage (Genetics) - The association in inheritance of two or more non-allelic GENES due to their being located more or less closely on the same CHROMOSOME. |
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Phenotype - The outward appearance of the individual. It is the product of interactions between genes, and between the GENOTYPE and the environment. |
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Ploidies - The degree of replication of the chromosome set in the karyotype. |
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Variation (Genetics) - The phenotypic and genotypic differences among individuals in a population. |
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