Strain (biology)
Genetic variant, subtype or culture within a biological species / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
This article is about strains in biology. For strain in chemistry, see Strain (chemistry).
In biology, a strain is a genetic variant, a subtype or a culture within a biological species. Strains are often seen as inherently artificial concepts, characterized by a specific intent for genetic isolation.[1] This is most easily observed in microbiology where strains are derived from a single cell colony and are typically quarantined by the physical constraints of a Petri dish. Strains are also commonly referred to within virology, botany, and with rodents used in experimental studies.[citation needed]