selective breeding

• Selective breeding is also known as artificial selection
• It is the process in which humans breed animals and plants for particular desirable genetic characteristics
• Examples of selective breeding include:

  • Animals that produce more milk and meat
  • Crops that have resistance to disease
  • Plants with bright or unusual flowers
  • Dogs with a gentle temperament
• Stages of selective breeding:

  • Select individuals with the desired characteristics from a mixed population
  • Breed them together
  • From the offspring, select those that have the desired characteristic and breed them together
  • Repeat this process over many generations until all of the offspring show the desired characteristic
• Issues with selective breeding:

  • Reduces the gene pool as organisms are genetically similar, leading to interbreeding
  • Increases chances of inheriting harmful genetic disorders due to reduced gene pool
  • Makes population more susceptible to new diseases due to lack of genetic variation, making it less likely for an organism to have a disease-resistant allele, resulting in all organisms succumbing to the disease