Selective Breeding (Artificial Selection)

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Selective breeding is when humans breed organisms for particular genetic characteristics.

 

For example:

• Dogs are bred to be gentle

• Flowers are bred to be big

• Cows are bred to produce high-yields of meat and milk

• Crops are bred to be disease-resistant

 

You need to know the steps for selective breeding: 

1. Pick parents with desired trait  

2. Breed them  

3. Choose best offspring  

4. Repeat over generations

 

The downside to this is interbreeding. This is where organisms that are too closely related breed and it can result in serious health problems in the offspring.