Question

The process of mating between closely related individuals is
A. Self breeding
B. Inbreeding
C. Hybridization
D. Heterosis.

Answer 1

Hint: When breeding or mating between two animals of the same breed is known as inbreeding and when the mating is crossed between two different breeds it is known as outbreeding.

Complete answer: Breed of an animal is a similarity in related characteristics like appearance, features, size, etc.
1. Inbreeding implies mating of related individuals within the same breed for five to seven generations. In this process, a superior male and a superior female of the same breed are found and mated.
2. The offspring of such breeds after matings are examined and superior males and superior females among these are recognized and further mated.
3. For example, when a cross is done between cow or bull, the cow selected must be the one which produces more milk per lactation and the bull which gives rise to superior offspring as compared to other males.
4. A homozygous pure line developed by Mendel is used in this case also.
Therefore inbreeding causes an increase in homozygosity.
5. This implies that inbreeding is helpful to evolve a pure-line in any animal.

Advantages of inbreeding are:-
It exposes the harmful recessive present in an animal which could be eliminated by selection.
Accumulation of superior genes and removal of undesirable genes.
Increase productivity of the inbred population.
Disadvantage of inbreeding-
Reduces fertility and productivity of animals (inbreeding depression)

Therefore the correct answer is B. Inbreeding

Note: When there is a fusion of male and female gametes of the same plant it is called self breeding. When two parents of completely different species or genera are crossed, it is called hybridization.