Year 10

Science
Lesson 12 – positives and negatives of artificial selection

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 Lesson 11: challenge answer
Find out:
• one advantage of artificial selection – can result in higher plant yields.
• one disadvantage of artificial selection – rare diseases can be bred
with a desired trait. For example, many dalmatians are deaf.

You may have other answers compared to the ones above.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Learning intention
To understand the positives and negatives of artificial selection.

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 You will need
• A pen and paper or digital device to record your answers.
• The internet to access the links.

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 Key terms
Artificial selection – when humans breed organisms that have desirable
traits increasing the likelihood of that trait occurring in the next
generation. Artificial selection is also known as selective breeding.

Trait – a trait is a characteristic or feature of a plant or animal. Traits,

like eye colour, can be inherited from parents. Traits may be acquired
during a lifetime.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Positives of artificial selection
• It can provide an improvement to plants and animals.
Fruits can become seedless, vegetables can taste better, yields can
be higher. Animals can be bred to produce
more meat or have a specific appearance.
• New plant and animal varieties can be created. For example, rice. Source: Pixabay

In the wild, when you touch rice, the seeds fall off. Domestic rice
has been bred to hold onto seeds so a tractor can collect it. This is
for human benefit.
• Future generations of plants and animals can maintain the
improvements of their parents.

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 Negatives of artificial selection
• It may lead to a lack of variety in plant and animal species –
selective breeding can lead to in-breeding.
• Genetic mutations could make the process useless and not Source: Pixabay

guarantee the desired outcome.

• It may end up harming animals. For example, cows have been
bred to produce more meat, however their small legs may
mean it could struggle to support itself.
• There is no guarantee that desired traits will pass to
the offspring. Source: Pixabay

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 Video
Watch the video about artificial
selection and answer
the questions below. The answers will
be on the next slide.
1. What were some of the positives
associated with artificial
selection?
2. What were some of the negatives
associated with artificial Source: Selective Breeding | Evolution | Biology on YouTube (Fuse School – Global Education, 2017)
For your safety, watch this video in the slideshow without accessing YouTube.

selection?

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 Answers
1. What were some of the positives associated with artificial selection?
In the early days, it meant less hunting and gathering for food. A wider
variety of foods became available. Settlements began to grow, and food was
able to cater for this increase.
2. What were some of the negatives associated with artificial selection?
Inbreeding can mean offspring are too similar and can be susceptible to
diseases. Reduced gene pool can mean less chance to adapt to the
environment. Genetic diseases are increased.

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 Summary
Artificial selection has both positive and negative effects. Positive
effects include greater improvements in plants and animals to allow our
population to survive. Negative effects include increased risk of genetic
diseases.

© Department for Education, the Government of South Australia, Learning at home, 2022
 Challenge
Artificial selection is different from natural selection. Investigate and
make note of one difference between the two. We will explore this in
the next lesson.

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