4.6.2.3 selective breeding

• What is selective breeding?

  When humans breed plants and animals for particular genetic characteristics
• how long have humans been doing selective breeding?

  for thousands of years since they first bred food crops from wild plants and domesticated animals
• What does selective breeding involve?

  choosing parents with the desired characteristic from a mixed population
• What happens to the parents with the desired characteristic?

  they are bred together
• what happens to the offspring of the parents with the desired characteristic?

  those with the desired characteristic are bred together- this continues over many generations until all the offspring show the desired characteristic.
• What are some examples of desired characteristics?

  • Disease resistance in food crops.
  • Animals which produce more meat or milk.
  • Domestic dogs with a gentle nature.
  • Large or unusual flowers
• What can selective breeding lead to?

  Inbreeding - where some breeds are particularly prone to disease or inherited defects as the gene pool is reduced