Genetic Load
Genetic load measures the average fitness of a population of individuals, relative to a hypothetical population in which the most fit genotype has become fixed.
Genetic load is the probability that an average individual will die or fail to reproduce because of its harmful genes. It is a number between 0 and 1 that measures the extent to which the average individual is inferior to the best individual.
If there are a number of genotypes in a population, each with its characteristic fitness; the genotype with the highest fitness is called Wopt. The average fitness of the whole population is the fitness of each genotype multiplied by its frequency: this is called mean fitness. V symbolizes mean fitness. The formula for genetic load (L) is as follows:
L = (Wopt-V)/(Wopt)
If all the individuals in the population have the optimal genotype, then v = Wopt and the load is zero. If all but one have a genotype of zero fitness then v = 0 and L = 1.
Read more about this topic: Fitness (biology)
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