5b - Selective Breeding

Artificial insemination (AI)

人工授精 (réngōng shòujīng) A technique where sperm is collected from a selected male and manually introduced into the reproductive tract of a selected female to achieve fertilization. Widely used in livestock breeding.

Characteristics

性状 (xìngzhuàng) / 特征 (tèzhēng) Inherited features or qualities of an organism (e.g., milk yield in cows, disease resistance in crops) that are targeted and chosen during selective breeding.

Crossbreeding

杂交 (zájiāo) / 异型杂交 (yìxíng zájiāo) Breeding individuals from different varieties or breeds (or sometimes closely related species) to combine desirable traits from both parents or to introduce genetic diversity (hybrid vigour).

Domesticated

驯化的（物种）(xùnhuà de (wùzhǒng)) Plant or animal species that have been adapted over many generations through selective breeding by humans to live in close proximity and be useful to humans (e.g., for food, work, companionship).

Inbreeding

近亲繁殖 (jìnqīn fánzhí) / 近交 (jìnjiāo) Breeding closely related individuals to maintain or enhance specific desirable traits and create homozygous lines. Can also increase the risk of expressing harmful recessive alleles.

Selective breeding (Artificial selection)

选择育种 (xuǎnzé yùzhǒng) / 人工选择 (réngōng xuǎnzé) The process by which humans intentionally choose organisms with desirable characteristics (traits) to be parents for the next generation, aiming to improve or maintain those traits in the offspring.

Stock (Breeding stock)

种畜 (zhǒngchù) / 种禽 (zhǒngqín) / 种质 (zhǒngzhì - for plants) The group of animals or plants selected for breeding purposes because they possess desired traits.

Yield

产量 (chǎnliàng) The amount of a useful product obtained from a crop, livestock, or process per unit of area or input (e.g., crop yield per hectare, milk yield per cow). A common target for improvement via selective breeding.