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overdominance
This term is a specialized technical expression used almost exclusively within the fields of genetics and evolutionary biology. It describes a specific state of heterozygote advantage, where the hybrid offspring possesses a survival or reproductive edge over both pure-breeding parents. This concept is central to explaining why certain deleterious alleles, such as those causing sickle cell anemia, persist in a population despite being harmful in a homozygous state.
Because it refers to a specific biological mechanism or phenomenon, the word is treated as an uncountable noun. It does not refer to a countable object but rather to a genetic principle or a state of being. It is rarely used outside of academic, scientific, or medical discourse.
Ý nghĩa
A genetic phenomenon where the heterozygote genotype has a higher fitness or a more favorable phenotype than either of the homozygote genotypes.
The population maintained genetic diversity due to the overdominance of the sickle cell trait in malaria-prone regions.