Wild type facts for kids

Wild type is a term in genetics for the most common type in a natural population. It is applied to alleles of a gene, or the genotypes or phenotypes of a species.

The term is used in genetics to contrast normal alleles with mutant alleles.

With Drosophila melanogaster, wild type usually means the standard version of the famous laboratory population used in the T.H. Morgan laboratory, and since used around the world. This was, of course, only a sample of the natural populations.

Images for kids

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  Unlike culinary bananas, wild-type bananas have numerous large, hard seeds.

See also

In Spanish: Wild type para niños