- Gene pool
In
population genetics , a gene pool is the complete set of uniqueallele s in aspecies orpopulation .Description
A large gene pool indicates extensive
genetic diversity , which is associated with robust populations that can survive bouts of intenseselection . Meanwhile, low genetic diversity (seeinbreeding andpopulation bottleneck s) can cause reduced biological fitness and an increased chance ofextinction .When all individuals in a population are identical with regard to a particular
phenotypic trait they are known as monomorphic. When the individuals show several variants of a particular trait they are said to be polymorphic.See also
*
Biodiversity
*Conservation biology
*Founder effect
*Genetic drift
*Gene flow
*Small population size External links
* [http://www.biology-online.org/2/14_gene_pool.htm The Gene Pool and Speciation] - from [http://www.biology-online.org Biology Online] , Retrieved August 20, 2008.
Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.