wild type

American  

noun

Genetics.

1. an organism having an appearance that is characteristic of the species in a natural breeding population.

2. the form or forms of a gene commonly occurring in nature in a given species.

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wild type British  

noun

1. biology the typical form of a species of organism resulting from breeding under natural conditions

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Other Word Forms

• wild-type
  adjective

Compare meaning

How does wild-type compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• wild type vs. mutant

Example Sentences

See Examples For:

wild type

Planned after wild type 2 poliovirus had been eradicated, the switch—which the report calls “the largest coordinated public health effort in history”—was like a trial run for that ultimate goal.

From Science Magazine ● May 7, 2024

In the current study, researchers noted that wild type wounded mice healed quite well, but the skin of transgenic mice devoid of microRNA-29 regenerated even better.

From Science Daily ● Feb. 1, 2024

These plants were grown by single-seed descent for up to 32 generations from wild type exposed to different environments or from natural strains from distinct geographical origins.

From Science Daily ● Sep. 29, 2023

However, a new variant scientists are bringing to our attention is about as genetically different from Omicron as Omicron was from the original "wild type" strain first detected in Wuhan, China in late 2019.

From Salon ● Aug. 20, 2023

Under all the circumstances, however, it seems more likely to be a case of reversion under favourable conditions from the domestic to the wild type.

From Our Cats and All About Them Their Varieties, Habits, and Management; and for Show, the Standard of Excellence and Beauty; Described and Pictured by Harrison Weir