| life table | A representation of the probable years of survivorship of a defined population of subjects; since survivorship is changed by new methods of prevention or treatment, a diachronic study is commonly used because the main interest lies in the composite structure of the current population. (In the summarizing technique used to describe the pattern of mortality and survival in a population, survivors to age x are denoted by the symbol lx and the expectation of life at age x is denoted by the symbol x. (05 Mar 2000) |
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| genetics, population | The study of the genetic composition of populations and of the effects of factors such as selection, population size, mutation, migration, and genetic drift on the frequencies of various genotypes and phenotypes. (12 Dec 1998) |
| growth rate of population | <epidemiology> A measure of population change in the absence of migration, comprising addition of newborns and subtraction of deaths; the result is known as the natural rate of increase of the population; it is the difference between the crude birth rate and the crude death rate. (05 Mar 2000) |
| rural population | The inhabitants of rural areas or of small towns classified as rural. (12 Dec 1998) |
| p in population genetics | The frequency of the more common of two different alternative (allelic) versions of a gene. (the frequency of less common allele is q). (12 Dec 1998) |
| population | 1. <genetics> A stable group of randomly interbreeding individuals. 2. <statistics> The set of objects or individuals from which a random sample is drawn. Origin: L. Populatio, from populus = people (18 Nov 1997) |
| population characteristics | <epidemiology> Qualities and characterization of various types of populations within a social or geographic group, with emphasis on demography, health status, and socioeconomic factors. (12 Dec 1998) |
| population control | Includes mechanisms or programs which control the numbers of individuals in a population of humans or animals. (12 Dec 1998) |
| population density | <epidemiology> Number of individuals in a population relative to space. (12 Dec 1998) |
| population diffusion coefficient | <cell biology> Coefficient that describes the tendency of a population of motile cells to diffuse through the environment. Its use presupposes that the cells move in a random walk. (18 Nov 1997) |
| population dynamics | <epidemiology> The pattern of any process, or the interrelationship of phenomena, which affects growth or change within a population. (12 Dec 1998) |
| population genetics | <epidemiology, genetics> The study of genetic influences on the components of cause and effect in the somatic characteristics of populations. (05 Mar 2000) |
| population growth | <epidemiology> Increase, over a specific period of time, in the number of individuals living in a country or region. (12 Dec 1998) |
| population pyramid | <epidemiology> Graphical representation of the age and sex composition of a population, constructed by computing the percentage distribution of the population in each age and sex class. (05 Mar 2000) |
| population surveillance | <epidemiology> Ongoing scrutiny of a population (general population, study population, target population, etc.), generally using methods distinguished by their practicability, uniformity, and frequently their rapidity, rather than by complete accuracy. (12 Dec 1998) |