genetic load

American

noun

the extent to which a population deviates from the theoretically fittest genetic constitution.

genetic load Scientific

The aggregate of deleterious genes that are carried, mostly hidden, in the genome of a population and may be transmitted to descendants. Inbreeding usually causes an increase in genetic load.

Etymology

Origin of genetic load

First recorded in 1965–70

Example Sentences

Examples are provided to illustrate real-world usage of words in context. Any opinions expressed do not reflect the views of Dictionary.com.

The Ecuadoran ministry said the released tortoises come from a breeding center of the Galapagos National Park, where a specialized program was developed using tortoises with a high genetic load of the island's endemic species that was found on Isabela island, which lies about 180 kilometers from Floreana.

From Barron's

This comprehensive genomic roadmap is providing critical clues into the population-level diversity, genetic load and disease susceptibility of Corvus hawaiiensis.

From Scientific American

Recombination in diverse maize is stable, predictable, and associated with genetic load.

From Nature

Mutation rate dynamics in a bacterial population reflect tension between adaptation and genetic load.

From Nature

“With additional specimens, drawn from other times and parts of the woolly mammoths’ enormous range, we may get a better picture of the genetic load that this species was labouring under at the end of its tenure.”

From Nature

Definitions and idiom definitions from Dictionary.com Unabridged, based on the Random House Unabridged Dictionary, © Random House, Inc. 2023