Selective Breeding

This lesson covers:

  1. How selective breeding works
  2. What selective breeding is used for 
  3. The drawbacks of selective breeding 

Which of these is a characteristic that humans have selectively bred for?

Wheat plants with smaller grains 

Cows that produce less milk

Horses that can run faster

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Which of the following characteristics do humans selectively breed for in plants?

(Select all that apply)

Decreased yield 

Increased yield 

Worse taste 

Better taste

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What type of variation can be passed on to the next generation?

Genetic variation only

Both genetic and environmental variation

Environmental variation only

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What effect does selective breeding usually have on variation within a population?

It increases variation

It decreases variation 

It does affect variation 

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Illustration of a DNA helix showing the structure of genes and alleles.

What is the term used to describe all the genes and their alleles found in a population?

Inbreeding

Gene pool

Phenotype 

Chromosome 

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What is the term used to describe the breeding together of closely related individuals?

Phenotype 

Chromosome 

Gene pool

Inbreeding 

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What are the drawbacks of inbreeding?

(Select all that apply)

The population as a whole will be more at risk of disease 

We can select for advantageous traits 

It reduces that size of the gene pool 

Rare inherited diseases are more likely to appear

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Describe how the process of selective breeding could be used to increase milk production in a population of cows. 

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