What term describes the amount of genes a person contributes to the next generation?

The term that describes the amount of genes a person contributes to the next generation is fitness. In the context of evolutionary biology, fitness refers to an organism's ability to survive and reproduce, passing on its genes to the next generation. This encompasses not only the number of offspring produced but also how those offspring carry genetic material into the future.

While terms like genetic fitness, fecundity, and adaptability relate to reproductive success or genetic contribution, they possess distinct meanings. Genetic fitness often focuses on the genetic quality of the offspring. Fecundity refers specifically to the potential reproductive capacity of an individual, which does not fully capture the broader implications of how genes are passed on. Adaptability relates to an organism's ability to adjust to changes in its environment, which impacts survival but is separate from the genetic contribution measured by fitness. Thus, fitness encapsulates the overall reproductive success and the genetic contributions to future generations effectively.