gene pool

[′jēn ‚pül]

(genetics)

The totality of the genes of a specific population at a given time.

The following article is from The Great Soviet Encyclopedia (1979). It might be outdated or ideologically biased.

Gene Pool

(Russian genofond), the qualitative composition and the relative quantity of the different forms (alleles) of the various genes in the population of one or another species of organism. By the term “gene pool” (the term in Russian was introduced by the Russian scientist A. S. Serebrovskii in 1928) is meant the allelic composition of the population or of all the members of the species, including all the variable characters and traits of the species or one or another selection from them, which is of interest to the researcher. When there is a sharp reduction in the number of individuals or a change in external conditions, the recessive gene pool— which is the sum total of recessive alleles that are for the most part excluded from natural selection—ensures that there will be a rapid change in the genetic makeup of the population. In the genetically less studied species, it is possible to determine the so-called phenotypic pool (a phene is an elementary character). Taking stock of hereditarily variable characters of farm animal and plant species under study, together with a determination of the frequencies of various alleles, is of great practical significance. The study of the gene pool of man has fundamental significance for human genetics.

REFERENCE

Serebrovskii, A. S. “Genogeografiia i genofond sel’skokhoziaistvennykh zhivotnykh SSSR.” Nauchnoe slovo, 1928, no. 9.

N. V. TIMOFEEV-RESOVSKII

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References in periodicals archive

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mascula), Anacamptis, and Neotinea keep the gene pool clean by thwarting reproduction after pollination.

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I vote we take off the notice and set up a webcam instead, so we can all enjoy the terminal antics of those so far down the gene pool that they need to be warned.

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Just as genes propagate themselves in the gene pool by leaping from body to body via sperms or eggs, so memes propagate themselves in the meme pool by leaping from brain to brain via a process which, in the broad sense, can be called imitation." Memes are associated with the emerging field of memetics.

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