gene pool

noun

: the collection of genes in an interbreeding population that includes each gene at a certain frequency in relation to its alleles : the genetic information of a population of interbreeding organisms

the human gene pool

Examples of gene pool in a Sentence

the gene pool of a species

Recent Examples on the Web

As animals are assailed by habitat loss, pollution, hunting or invasive species, their populations shrink and fragment — and so does the gene pool. —Christine Condon, Baltimore Sun, 17 June 2024

Ten fosters have reproduced in the wild, integrating their genetics into the gene pool. —Shaun McKinnon, The Arizona Republic, 3 June 2024

And removing protections from the animals could lead to overhunting, which could prevent populations from spreading, or limit the gene pool for the animals. —Laura Schulte, Journal Sentinel, 21 May 2024

Unless natural selection steps in to kick some traits out of the gene pool or to privilege beneficial new mutations, the genetic profile of the population stays about the same. —Quanta Magazine, 2 May 2024

Word History

First Known Use

1941, in the meaning defined above

Medical Definition

gene pool

noun

: the collection of genes in an interbreeding population that includes each gene at a certain frequency in relation to its alleles : the genetic information of a population of interbreeding organisms

the human gene pool