Population (biology) in the context of "Gene"

⭐ In the context of genes, what term describes the complete set of genetic material within a population?

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⭐ Core Definition: Population (biology)

In biology, a population of organisms is a group of individuals of the same species, defined by a discontinuity or disjunction from other groups of individuals in certain characteristics, such as living area, genetic attributes, demographic structure. Among biologists, the term definition varies, in some cases significantly, and sometimes those variations can be confusing. There are also plenty of other terms to describe groups of individuals if no clear disjunction is present. Commonly, a population can be described by what individuals constitute the population, its size, a geographical area it occupies, and the time within which the population is examined. In qualitative terms, it is usually defined like "a group of organisms of the same species occupying a particular space at a particular time".

The two main approaches to define a population are ecological and evolutionary. From the ecological perspective, individuals are considered interacting and competing in a certain geographic area. From the evolutionary (genetic) perspective, genes and reproduction are considered the driving forces of a population. Since each population has its own gene pool that changes and adapts to the environment over time, the population is considered to be the main organizational unit in biology.

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👉 Population (biology) in the context of Gene

In biology, the word gene has two meanings. The Mendelian gene is a basic unit of heredity. The molecular gene is a sequence of nucleotides in DNA that is transcribed to produce a functional RNA. There are two types of molecular genes: protein-coding genes and non-coding genes. During gene expression (the synthesis of RNA or protein from a gene), DNA is first copied into RNA. RNA can be directly functional or be the intermediate template for the synthesis of a protein.

The transmission of genes to an organism's offspring is the basis of the inheritance of phenotypic traits from one generation to the next. These genes make up different DNA sequences, together called a genotype, that is specific to every given individual, within the gene pool of the population of a given species. The genotype, along with environmental and developmental factors, ultimately determines the phenotype of the individual.

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Population (biology) in the context of Naturalisation (biology)

Naturalisation (or naturalization) is the ecological process by which a species, taxon, or population of exotic—as opposed to native—origin becomes integrated into a given ecosystem. Through this process, the organism establishes self-sustaining populations, becoming capable of reproducing, growing, and disseminating spontaneously without continued human assistance. In some cases, a species’ presence in an ecosystem is so ancient that it becomes impossible to determine with certainty whether it is native or the result of a historical introduction. Such taxa may be regarded as naturalised when their origin cannot be conclusively established.

Generally, any introduced species may (in the wild) either go extinct or naturalise in its new environment.

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LINKED FROM (PARENTS)
← Gene ← Naturalisation (biology) ← Genes ← Naturalization (biology)
LINKS TO (CHILDREN)
Biology → Organism → Species →