Selective Breeding

• What is selective breeding?

  Selective breeding is the process of breeding the best plants or animals to produce better offspring.
• Why do humans use selective breeding?


  Humans use selective breeding to enhance desirable traits in plants and animals.
• How long have humans been using selective breeding?


  Humans have been using selective breeding for thousands of years.
• What is agriculture?

  Agriculture is a term for farming.
• What types of traits do we selectively breed for?


  We selectively breed for traits like high meat or milk production, disease resistance, and desirable pet characteristics.
• How do you select individuals for breeding?


  You select individuals based on the desired characteristics you want to enhance.
• What happens after selecting the best individuals for breeding?


  You breed the selected individuals together to produce the next generation.
• How does selective breeding affect the gene pool?


  Selective breeding reduces the gene pool by favoring certain alleles over others.
• What is a gene pool?


  A gene pool is the collection of all the different alleles in an entire population.
• What is the consequence of repeatedly selecting for certain alleles?


  It leads to a smaller pool of alleles as undesirable traits are eliminated.
• What is a potential risk of inbreeding in selective breeding?

  Inbreeding can make offspring more prone to diseases and inherited defects.
• Why are certain dog breeds prone to health conditions?

  They are prone to health conditions due to a small gene pool resulting from selective breeding.
• What is the risk of having a small gene pool in a population?


  A small gene pool means less variation, making the population vulnerable to diseases.
• What could happen if a new pathogen infects a population with a small gene pool?


  The entire crop could be affected, leading to significant losses for the farmer.
• What is the process of selective breeding?


  • Identify the best individuals in a population.
  • Breed them together to produce offspring.
  • Repeat the process over generations.
  • Aim to enhance desirable traits.
• What are the drawbacks of selective breeding?


  • Reduces the gene pool.
  • Increases risk of inbreeding.
  • Makes populations vulnerable to diseases.
  • Limits genetic variation.