gene pool

noun

1. the total genetic information in the gametes of all the individuals in a population.

gene pool

noun

1. the sum of all the genes in an interbreeding population

gene pool

1. The collective genetic information contained within a population of sexually reproducing organisms.

gene pool

1. The total number of genes available in a given species .

Notes

Loosely speaking, the gene pool represents the total breeding stock available to the species.

Word History and Origins

Origin of gene pool¹

First recorded in 1945–50

Example Sentences

Imagine the gene pool of a species as a deck of cards.

From Science Daily

But genetic traits are often associated with a person’s social identity – treating certain traits as unwanted in the human gene pool can be deeply discriminatory.

From Salon

Some people see preventing the birth of people with certain genetic traits as a form of eugenics, the troubling practice of treating a social group’s genetic traits as unwanted and attempting to remove them from the human gene pool.

From Salon

With a population of 335 million and an Olympic squad of 592, the U.S. draws from a large gene pool and has lots of opportunities to reach the podium.

From Los Angeles Times

Arabica is so fragile in part because its gene pool is surprisingly narrow.

From Salon