Strain (biology)


 * This article is about biological strains. For other meanings, see strain.

In biology, Strain can be used in three ways.

Microbiology/Virology
A strain is a genetic variant or subtype of a virus or bacterium. For example, a "flu strain" is a certain biological form of the influenza or "flu" virus. Compare clade.

Plants
A strain is sometimes used to indicate a group of plants with similar (but not identical) appearance and/or properties. The term has no official status.

Rodents
A mouse or a rat strain is a group of animals that is genetically uniform. Strains are used in laboratory experiments. Mouse strains can be inbred, mutant or genetically engineered, rat strains are usually inbred.