Ecological genetics
Ecological Genetics
Ecological genetics (pronunciation: /ˌiːkəˈlɒdʒɪkəl dʒɪˈnɛtɪks/) is a branch of genetics that deals with the study of how genetic variation leads to evolutionary changes or adaptation in a specific environment.
Etymology
The term "ecological genetics" is derived from the words "ecology" and "genetics". "Ecology" (from Greek: οἶκος, "house" and -λογία, "study of") is the branch of biology which studies the interactions among organisms and their environment. "Genetics" (from Greek: γενετικός, "genetikos" meaning "genitive" and that from γένεσις, "genesis" meaning "origin") is the study of genes, genetic variation, and heredity in living organisms.
Overview
Ecological genetics studies the interaction of genotype and phenotype with the environment, and how these interactions lead to different fitness and, ultimately, to adaptation. It involves the study of natural populations, with emphasis on how they are adapted to their environments.
Ecological genetics is an interdisciplinary field that combines aspects of population genetics, evolutionary biology, ecology, and genomics. It seeks to understand the role of genetic processes in promoting biodiversity and adaptation, and the consequences of genetic change for ecological processes.
Related Terms
- Genotype: The genetic constitution of an individual organism.
- Phenotype: The set of observable characteristics of an individual resulting from the interaction of its genotype with the environment.
- Population genetics: The study of genetic variation within populations, and involves the examination and modelling of changes in the frequencies of genes and alleles in populations over time.
- Evolutionary biology: The subfield of biology that studies the evolutionary processes that produced the diversity of life on Earth.
- Ecology: The scientific study of the interactions that determine the distribution and abundance of organisms.
- Genomics: An interdisciplinary field of biology focusing on the structure, function, evolution, and mapping of genomes.
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Ecological genetics
- Wikipedia's article - Ecological genetics
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