Definition

Relating to a type of mating system where all individuals in a population are potential partners, allowing for random mating.

Example

In a panmictic population, any individual can mate with any other individual, promoting genetic diversity.

Conversation

I was reading about different types of populations in biology, and I came across the term panmictic.

Oh really? What does that mean exactly?

It refers to a population where all individuals are potential mates, so there's a lot of genetic mixing.

That sounds interesting! I guess it helps maintain genetic diversity.

Synonyms & Antonyms

Root Explanation

Panmictic → It is formed from "pan-" (meaning all) and "mictus" (from Greek "miktos", meaning mixed). The word describes a population where all individuals are free to mate with one another, resulting in a mixing of genetic material.

Memory Tip

Think of 'all' ('pan-') being 'mixed' ('mictus') together — that's why panmictic refers to a population where everyone can mate freely.

Visually Confused Words