Homonym: strain (Stress)
Strain refers to the amount of deformation experienced by an object when subjected to an external force. It is a measure of how much an object stretches or compresses relative to its original length. Strain is typically expressed as a ratio, indicating the change in length divided by the original length, and can occur in materials like metals, plastics, and even biological tissues.
In the context of biology, strain can also refer to a genetic variant of a microorganism, such as a bacteria or virus. Different strains may exhibit varying characteristics, such as resistance to antibiotics or differences in virulence, which can impact how diseases spread and are treated.