wild type

Examples of wild type in the following topics:

• Alternatives to Dominance and Recessiveness

  • The variant may be recessive or dominant to the wild-type allele.
  • The wild-type version, C+C+, is expressed as brown fur.
  • The complete dominance of a wild-type phenotype over all other mutants often occurs as an effect of "dosage" of a specific gene product, such that the wild-type allele supplies the correct amount of gene product whereas the mutant alleles cannot.
  • Alternatively, one mutant allele can be dominant over all other phenotypes, including the wild type.
  • Example of a mutant allele interfering with the function of a wild-type gene

• Lethal Inheritance Patterns

  • Occasionally, a nonfunctional allele for an essential gene can arise by mutation and be transmitted in a population as long as individuals with this allele also have a wild-type, functional copy.
  • The wild-type allele functions at a capacity sufficient to sustain life and is, therefore, considered to be dominant over the nonfunctional allele.
  • However, consider two heterozygous parents that have a genotype of wild-type/nonfunctional mutant for a hypothetical essential gene.
  • For crosses between heterozygous individuals with a recessive lethal allele that causes death before birth when homozygous, only wild-type homozygotes and heterozygotes would be observed.
  • A single copy of the wild-type allele is not always sufficient for normal functioning or even survival.

• Chromosomal Theory of Inheritance

  • In flies, the wild type eye color is red (XW) and is dominant to white eye color (Xw) .
  • Red eye color is wild type and is dominant to white eye color.

• Sex-Linked Traits

  • For example, temperature-dependent sex determination is relatively common, and there are many other types of environmental sex determination.
  • In fruit flies, the wild-type eye color is red (XW) and is dominant to white eye color (Xw).
  • When they inherit one recessive X-linked mutant allele and one dominant X-linked wild-type allele, they are carriers of the trait and are typically unaffected.
  • In this chart you can see what people with different types of color blindness can see versus the normal color vision line at top.
  • Red eye color is wild-type and is dominant to white eye color.

• Vaccines and Immunity

  • Live vaccines are usually made by attenuating (weakening) the "wild-type" (disease-causing) virus by growing it in the laboratory in tissues or at temperatures different from what the virus is accustomed to in the host.
  • This type of scenario happened as recently as 2007 in Nigeria where mutations in a polio vaccine led to an epidemic of polio in that country.

• Organismal Ecology and Population Ecology

  • After hatching, the larval caterpillars emerge to spend four to six weeks feeding solely on wild lupine .
  • The adult butterflies feed on the nectar of flowers of wild lupine and other plant species.
  • However, the distribution and density of this species is highly influenced by the distribution and abundance of wild lupine.
  • For example, ecologists know that wild lupine thrives in open areas where trees and shrubs are largely absent.
  • The wild lupine (Lupinus perennis) is the host plant for the Karner blue butterfly.

• Conditioned Behavior

  • Conditioned behaviors are types of associative learning where a stimulus becomes associated with a consequence.
  • Two types of conditioning techniques include classical and operant conditioning.
  • This type of learning is an example of operant conditioning.
  • In this way, the animal is conditioned to associate a type of behavior with the punishment or reward.
  • Over time, the animal can be induced to perform behaviors that they would not have done in the wild, such as the "tricks" dolphins perform at marine amusement park shows .

• Agricultural Diversity

  • Maintaining genetic biodiversity of wild species of our crops that are related to domesticated species ensures our continued food supply.
  • The ability to create new crop varieties relies on the diversity of varieties available and the accessibility of wild forms related to the crop plant.
  • These wild forms are often the source of new gene variants that can be bred with existing varieties to create varieties with new attributes.
  • Loss of wild species related to a crop will mean the loss of potential in crop improvement.
  • Maintaining the genetic diversity of wild species related to domesticated species ensures our continued food supply.

• Temperate Grasslands

  • Some types of fungi make the plants more resistant to insect and microbial attacks.
  • The Przewalski's horse is a rare and endangered subspecies of wild horse.

• Altruism and Populations

  • Wolves and wild dogs bring meat to pack members not present during a hunt.
  • One explanation for altruistic-type behaviors is found in the genetics of natural selection.