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Heritability definitions

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  • Heritability
    Proportion of trait variation in a population explained by genetic differences, specific to that population and environment.
  • Broad Sense Heritability
    Fraction of phenotypic variance attributed to all genetic variance, including additive and dominance effects.
  • Narrow Sense Heritability
    Fraction of phenotypic variance due to additive genetic variance, crucial for predicting response to selection.
  • Additive Genetic Variance
    Genetic variance resulting from differences between alleles, such as dominant and recessive, influencing trait inheritance.
  • Dominance Genetic Variance
    Genetic variance caused by heterozygotes not being intermediates, affecting trait expression beyond simple allele addition.
  • Phenotypic Variance
    Total observed variation in a trait within a population, resulting from both genetic and environmental factors.
  • Artificial Selection
    Process where individuals with desired traits are chosen for breeding to enhance specific phenotypes in future generations.
  • Selection Response
    Difference between the mean trait value of offspring and the original population, reflecting effectiveness of selection.
  • Selection Differential
    Difference between the mean trait value of selected parents and the original population, indicating selection intensity.
  • Monozygotic Twins
    Siblings originating from a single zygote that splits, resulting in nearly identical genetic makeup.
  • Dizygotic Twins
    Siblings from two separate eggs fertilized by two sperm, sharing genetic similarity equivalent to regular siblings.
  • Concordant Trait
    Trait expressed or not expressed by both twins in a pair, indicating shared genetic or environmental influence.
  • Discordant Trait
    Trait expressed by only one twin in a pair, highlighting differences in genetic expression or environmental impact.
  • Copy Number Variance
    Genetic variation due to differences in the number of copies of a particular DNA segment, even among identical twins.