Drift
Drift (medical term)
Drift (/drɪft/), in the context of medicine, refers to a gradual change or deviation in disease patterns, genetic traits, or characteristics over time. The term is often used in epidemiology and genetics.
Etymology
The term 'drift' originates from the Old English 'drifan', meaning 'to move slowly'. In the medical context, it was first used in the late 19th century to describe gradual changes in disease patterns.
Pronunciation
The term 'drift' is pronounced as /drɪft/.
Related Terms
- Genetic Drift: A mechanism of evolution in which allele frequencies of a population change over generations due to chance (sampling error).
- Viral Drift: A mechanism for genetic variation in viruses, including the influenza virus.
- Epidemiological Transition: A phase of development witnessed by a sudden and stark increase in population growth rates brought by improved food security and innovations in public health and medicine.
- Mutation: The changing of the structure of a gene, resulting in a variant form that may be transmitted to subsequent generations.
See Also
External links
- Medical encyclopedia article on Drift
- Wikipedia's article - Drift
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