Question

What is inbreeding? Mention the significance of inbreeding.

Answer 1

Hint: The process of inbreeding is the production of the offspring from the mating or breeding of the individuals or organisms that are closely related genetically. This term is used in the human reproduction, but more commonly refers to the genetic disorders and other consequences that may arise from the expression of deleterious or recessive traits resulting from incestuous sexual relationships and consanguinity.

Complete answer: The process of inbreeding is the mating of organisms closely related by ancestry. It goes against the biological aim of mating, which is the shuffling of the DNA. The human DNA is bundled into twenty three pairs of the chromosomes, within each chromosome there are hundreds of thousands of genes there, each gene has two copies known as the alleles. The process of inbreeding is a technique used in selective breeding. For example, in the livestock breeding, the breeders may use inbreeding when trying to establish a new and the desirable trait in the stock and for producing distinct families within a breed, but will need to watch for the undesirable characteristics in offspring, which can then be eliminated through further selective breeding or culling.
The inbreeding also helps to ascertain the type of gene action affecting a trait. The inbreeding is also used to reveal the deleterious recessive alleles, which can then be eliminated through assortative breeding or through the culling. In plant breeding, inbred lines are used as the stocks for the creation of hybrid lines to make use of the effects of heterosis. The inbreeding in plants also occurs naturally in the form of self-pollination. The process of inbreeding can significantly influence the gene expression which can prevent inbreeding depression.
The significance are, it can increases the frequency of the pairing of similar genes, it enables the breeder to find out and eliminate the harmful recessive genes within the population, it can also be essential in the development of distinct family lines, this technique can be also use to maintain the genetic relationship by the breeders animals such as the cows having the excellent genes.
The inbreeding can increase the risk of the recessive gene disorders. They receive one copy of the gene from each of the parents. The animals that are closely related are more likely to carry a copy of the same recessive gene. This will result in the increase in the risk that they will both pass a copy of the gene onto their offspring.

Note: The inbreeding is useful in the retention of desirable characteristics or the elimination of the undesirable ones, but it often results in decreased vigour, size, and the fertility of the offspring because of the combined effect of the harmful genes that were recessive in both the parents.