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

For example, it may be possible to chelate magnesium ions from bacterial environments, which should selectively inhibit resistant strains without impacting the wild type bacteria that may be beneficial to our health.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2024

Studying a ribosome variant within Bacillus subtilis called "L22," the researchers found that competition for magnesium hinders the growth of L22 more than a normal "wild type" ribosome that is not resistant to antibiotics.

From Science Daily ● Nov. 16, 2024

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

"As new variants of SARS-CoV-2 continue to emerge, it is important to assess the cross-neutralizing capabilities of antibodies naturally elicited during wild type SARS-CoV-2 infection," the authors explain.

From Salon ● Sep. 12, 2022

The flowers in the wild type are rosy crimson, but there is also a white variety, and seedlings give quite a variety of shades.

From Trees and Shrubs for English Gardens by Ernest Thomas Cook