1.2.15

Species & Selective Breeding

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Species and Selective Breeding

A species is a group of individuals that can interbreed and have fertile offspring. When organisms breed together, they can ensure that desired characteristics are passed on to the next generation.

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Species

  • A species is a group of individuals that are able to interbreed and have fertile offspring.
  • For example, humans can breed and produce fertile offspring that are also able to breed.
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Infertile offspring

  • Some organisms may look similar and appear to be able to breed.
  • However, the offspring of these organisms are not able to breed.
  • For example, horses and donkeys can interbreed.
  • The offspring of horses and donkeys is called a mule.
  • Mules cannot interbreed.
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Selective breeding

  • Humans can select desirable characteristics in an organism.
  • Humans can breed organisms to pass desirable characteristics to the next generation.
  • This process is called selective breeding.
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How selective breeding works

  • In selective breeding, only individuals with the desired characteristics are allowed to breed.
  • Selective breeding creates a population of organisms with the desired characteristic.
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Examples of selective breeding

  • Examples of selective breeding include:
    • Sheep with good quality wool
    • Cows with tasty milk
    • Chickens with large eggs
    • Maize that is resistant to disease

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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