The proportion or ratio of organisms within a community. Instead of counting each and every organism, scientists measure the variability of populations to look for change over time. In your class, student variability may be 4 girls for every 3 boys.
The proportion or ratio of organis...
differences in the measurement of variables.
The amount of difference (or similarity) between points in a data set.
A population’s natural heterogeneity or diversity, particularly that which contributes to differences in exposure levels or in susceptibility to the effects of chemical exposures.
The differences between animals within a given population.
Variability refers to true heterogeneity or diversity. For example, among a population that drinks water from the same source and with the same contaminant concentration, the risks from consuming the water may vary. This may be due to differences in exposure (i.e., different people drinking different amounts of water and having different body weights, different exposure frequencies, and different exposure durations) as well as differences in response (e.g., genetic differences in resistance to a chemical dose). Those inherent differences are referred to as variability. Differences among individuals in a population are referred to as inter-individual variability, differences for one individual over time is referred to as intra-individual variability.