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 traits do we selectively breed cows?

  For meat and milk production
• What traits do we selectively breed plants for?

  Large flowers and disease resistance
• How does selective breeding work?

  By selecting individuals with desired traits
• What happens to the gene pool during selective breeding?

  It reduces as certain alleles are selected
• What is a gene pool?

  The collection of all alleles in a population
• What is the risk of inbreeding in selective breeding?

  It can lead to diseases and defects
• Why are certain dog breeds prone to health conditions?

  Due to a small gene pool from inbreeding
• What is the consequence of a small gene pool?

  Less variation and higher disease risk
• What could happen if a new pathogen infects a crop with a small gene pool?

  The entire crop could be lost
• What is the original form of sweet corn?

  A wild type found over ten thousand years ago
• How does repeated selective breeding affect plants?

  It leads to better, bigger, and juicier plants
• What is the main drawback of selective breeding?

  It reduces the gene pool of the population
• What are the steps involved in selective breeding?

  • Identify the best individuals in the population
  • Breed selected individuals together
  • Repeat the process over generations
  • Aim for improved traits in offspring
• What are the implications of a reduced gene pool in selective breeding?

  • Increased risk of diseases
  • Higher chance of inherited defects
  • Less variation in the population