Selective Breeding

• Selective breeding (or artificial selection) is the process by which humans breed animals or plants for particular genetic characterises. Humans have been doing this for thousands of years since they first bred food crops from wild plants and domesticated animals
• Selective breeding involves choosing parents with the desired characteristic from a mixed population. They are bred together. From the offspring, those with the desired characteristic are bred together. This continues over many generations until all the offspring show the desired trait.
• The characteristic can be choses for usefulness or appearance:

  • disease resistance in food crops
  • animals which produce more meat or milk
  • domestic dogs with a gentle nature
  • large or unusual flowers
• Selective breeding can lead to inbreeding where some breeds are particularly prone to disease or inherited defects