Inheritance & EvolutionKey Facts

Problems with Selective Breeding

Part of Selective Breeding · GCSE GCSE Biology revision

This key facts covers Problems with Selective Breeding within Selective Breeding for GCSE Biology. Artificial selection and selective breeding techniques It is section 3 of 11 in this topic. Use this key facts to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.

Topic position

Section 3 of 11

Practice

28 questions

Recall

12 flashcards

📋 Problems with Selective Breeding

Inbreeding: Reduces genetic variation
Genetic diseases: Harmful alleles can accumulate
Vulnerability: Whole population susceptible to same disease
Animal welfare: Some breeds have health problems (e.g., breathing issues in flat-faced dogs)

Keep building this topic

Read this section alongside the surrounding pages in Selective Breeding. That gives you the full topic sequence instead of a single isolated revision point.

Examples of Selective Breeding How It Works: Selective Breeding Over Generations What is Selective Breeding?Key Definitions

Practice Questions for Selective Breeding

What is selective breeding?

A. The random mating of organisms in the wild
B. The process of choosing organisms with desired traits to breed together
C. The genetic modification of organisms using DNA technology
D. The natural selection of organisms by environmental pressures

1 markfoundation

Explain how selective breeding has been used to develop modern wheat varieties with higher yields.

4 marksstandard

Quick Recall Flashcards

Give three examples of selective breeding.

1. Dogs — bred for specific traits (speed in greyhounds, herding in border collies, guiding in labradors). 2. Cattle — bred for high milk yield or increased meat production. 3. Wheat — bred for disease resistance, higher yield, and shorter stems (less likely to fall over).

Describe the process of selective breeding.

1. Choose parents that show the desired characteristic. 2. Breed them together. 3. Select offspring that best show the characteristic. 4. Repeat over many generations. Over time the desired trait becomes more common in the population.

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Examples of Selective Breeding

How It Works: Selective Breeding Over Generations