Definition
noun, plural: inbred strains
A strain of animal or plant that has undergone an inbreeding strategy (e.g. brother x sister mating and/or back crossing)
Supplement
Inbreeding pertains to the act or process of producing offspring through mating two genetically-related individuals. Strategies applied in inbreeding include (1) a cross between a brother and a sister and (2) backcrossing, i.e. offspring x parent mating.
An inbred strain is a strain that has undergone through a series of inbreeding methods. For instance, a strain undergoes at least twenty generations by inbreeding strategies until each of them would be effectively regarded as a clone. Inbred strains are produced for use as experimental models in genetic research. A common model organism is Arabidopsis thaliana (thale cress). It is a weed belonging to the taxonomic family Brassicaceae. This species is an ideal model organism due to the ease of creating inbred strains as this plant naturally reproduces through self-pollination.
Certain animals are also used as experimental model organisms for genetic research. Inbred strains are produced by the mating of littermates of siblings over multiple generations. The resulting strain is genotypically identical allowing the study of certain traits in a relatively pure form.
See also:
- inbreeding
- inbred
- Mice inbred cftr
- Mice inbred hrs
- Mice inbred mdx
