Francis Galton—Eugenics

Definition

Francis Galton was a British scientist known for his pioneering studies of human intelligence. He coined the term 'eugenics' to describe the science of improving a human population by controlled breeding to increase the occurrence of desirable heritable characteristics.

Analogy

Think of eugenics like a gardener selectively breeding roses. The gardener would only allow the roses with the most desirable traits (like color, size, or scent) to reproduce, in hopes that these traits will be passed on and become more common in future generations.

Related terms

Heritability: This is the proportion of observed differences on a trait among individuals of a population that are due to genetic differences.

Genotype: This refers to an individual's collection of genes. The term also can refer to the two alleles inherited for a particular gene.

Phenotype: This is an individual's observable traits, such as height, eye color, and blood type. The phenotype is determined by an individual's genotype and environmental influences.