Meaning & use
genetic drift
Last updated
Meaning
noununcountabletechnicalbiology
Random changes in the frequency of gene variants in a population over time.
Grammar: Uncountable; no article or plural: 'Genetic drift can be strong in small populations.'
Patterns
- genetic drift in a population
- genetic drift causes something
- the effects of genetic drift
In small populations, genetic drift can quickly remove a rare allele by chance.
The researchers modeled genetic drift to explain the random changes they observed.
Unlike natural selection, genetic drift does not depend on survival advantage.
Common combinations
- genetic drift in small populations
- Genetic drift in small populations can reduce genetic diversity.
- random genetic drift
- Random genetic drift can cause allele frequencies to fluctuate.
- the effect of genetic drift
- The effect of genetic drift is stronger when few individuals reproduce.
- genetic drift and natural selection
- Genetic drift and natural selection are both mechanisms of evolution.
Synonyms and how they differ
- allelic drift
- A more technical synonym used mainly in genetics; it emphasizes changes in allele frequencies.
- random genetic drift
- Adds emphasis on the random nature; often used when contrasting with selection.
Word family
Commonly confused: genetic drift or gene flow? genetic drift or natural selection?
genetic drift vs gene flow
Gene flow is the movement of genes between populations; genetic drift is random change within a population.
genetic drift vs natural selection
Natural selection is non-random and favors traits that improve survival; genetic drift is random.
Practice
Which sentence uses 'genetic drift' correctly?
Choose one answer.
Genetic drift is random change in allele frequencies, especially in small populations. Option 0 is wrong because drift is random, not non-random. Option 2 describes gene flow. Option 3 is wrong because drift and selection are different mechanisms.
Make it your own
Write a sentence using “genetic drift”, then check it and compare it with the examples above.