Lesson 9: Selective Bredding

Question 1

What is selective breeding (artificial selection?)

Answer 1

• Selective breeding (artificial selection) is the process by which humans breed plants and animals for particular genetic characteristics.

Question 2

For how many years have humans been doing selective breeding?

Answer 2

• Humans have been doing selective breeding for thousands of years (since they first bred food crops from wild plants and domesticated animals.)

Question 3

What are the 4 steps of selective breeding?

Answer 3

1.) Chose parents with the desired charcteristics from a mixed population.
2.) Breed the parents together.
3.) The offspring (that has the desired charcterstics) will be bred together.
4.) This continues over many generations until all the offspring show the desired charcteristic.

Question 4

What are the 2 reasons why a CERTAIN charcterstic (in parents) may be chosen so that their offspring have the same characteristic?

Answer 4

1.) The characteristic may be useful.
2.) The characteristic may lead to a nice appearance (of offspring.)

Question 5

What sorts of characteristics could be: “desired characteristics?”

GIVE 4 examples.

Answer 5

1.) Disease resistance in food crops.
2.) Animals who produce more meat/ milk.
3.) Domestic dogs with a gentle nature.
4.) Large or unusual flowers.

Question 6

What is the issue with selective breeding?

Answer 6

• Leads to inbreeding (breeding of close- relatives)
• So, some breeds (that have inbred) will be particularly prone to disease/ inherited defects.