selective breeding

• What is selective breeding?

  Breeding the best plants or animals together
• Why do humans use selective breeding?

  To get better offspring with desired traits
• How long have humans been using selective breeding?

  Thousands of years
• What is agriculture?

  A fancy term for farming
• For what purposes do we selectively breed animals and plants?

  For meat, milk, disease resistance, and pets
• What is the first step in selective breeding?

  Selecting individuals with desired characteristics
• What happens after selecting the best individuals in selective breeding?

  They are bred together to produce offspring
• How does selective breeding affect the gene pool?

  It reduces the gene pool of the population
• What is a gene pool?

  The collection of all alleles in a population
• What happens to alleles during selective breeding?

  Certain alleles are selected for desired traits
• What is a consequence of repeatedly selecting for certain alleles?

  The gene pool becomes smaller over time
• What is inbreeding?

  Breeding closely related individuals together
• Why are certain dog breeds prone to health conditions?

  Due to a small gene pool from inbreeding
• What is a risk of having a small gene pool?

  Increased susceptibility to diseases and defects
• What could happen if a new pathogen infects a population with a small gene pool?

  The entire crop could be lost at once
• What is the original form of sweet corn compared to modern sweet corn?

  It shows significant changes from selective breeding
• What are the steps involved in selective breeding?

  1. Identify individuals with desired traits
  2. Breed selected individuals together
  3. Evaluate offspring for desired traits
  4. Repeat the process over generations
• What are the drawbacks of selective breeding?

  • Reduces gene pool
  • Increases risk of inbreeding
  • Prone to diseases and defects
  • Less variation in the population