5.b) Selective Breeding

How can selective breeding be used to develop plants or animals with desired characteristics?

• Select the plants or animals with desired characteristics beneficial to humans

• Breed these plants or animals together

• Choose the offspring with desired characteristics and breed these together

• Repeat over many generations

Unlike natural selection, the characteristics of these animals will not necessarily grant them the best chance of survival

What desired characteristics may be sought after in plants or animals?

Plants: Better tasting fruits,Large or unusual flowers, Increased crop yield
Animals: Disease resistance, appearance, resistance to certain conditions, higher meat

What are problems with selective breeding?

• Inbreeding, causing a reduction in the gene pool and a lack of varierty which can lead to harmful genetic defects and vulnerability to the same disease

• Ethical concerns

What is the difference between natural selection and artificial selection?

Natural selection	Artificial selection
Occurs naturally	Only occurs when humans intervene
Results in development of populations with features that are better adapted to their environment and survival	Results in development of populations with features that are useful to humans and not necessarily useful to the survival of the individual
Usually takes a long time to occur	Takes less time as only individuals with the desired features are allowed to reproduce