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

Additionally, ancient adaptation signals can be masked by genetic drift -- random fluctuations in the frequency that genes appear -- and population mixing, which causes certain adaptive traits to disappear from the gene pool.

From Science Daily

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