Genetic resources are genetic material of actual or potential value, where genetic material means any material of plant, animal,
microbial or other origin containing functional units of
heredity
Heredity, also called inheritance or biological inheritance, is the passing on of traits from parents to their offspring; either through asexual reproduction or sexual reproduction, the offspring cells or organisms acquire the genetic infor ...
.
Genetic resources is one of the three levels of
biodiversity
Biodiversity is the variability of life, life on Earth. It can be measured on various levels. There is for example genetic variability, species diversity, ecosystem diversity and Phylogenetics, phylogenetic diversity. Diversity is not distribut ...
defined by the
Convention on Biological Diversity in Rio, 1992.
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Examples
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Animal genetic resources for food and agriculture
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Forest genetic resources
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Germplasm
Germplasm refers to genetic resources such as seeds, tissues, and DNA sequences that are maintained for the purpose of animal and plant breeding, conservation efforts, agriculture, and other research uses. These resources may take the form of s ...
, genetic resources that are preserved for various purposes such as breeding, preservation, and research
*
Plant genetic resources
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Genetic resources conservation and sustainable use
See also
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Cryoconservation of animal genetic resources, a strategy to preserve genetic resources cryogenically
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Commission on Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, the only permanent intergovernmental body that addresses biological diversity for food and agriculture
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International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture, an international agreement to promote sustainable use of the world's plant genetic resources
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Gene bank, a type of biorepository which preserves genetic material
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Genetic diversity
Genetic diversity is the total number of genetic characteristics in the genetic makeup of a species. It ranges widely, from the number of species to differences within species, and can be correlated to the span of survival for a species. It is d ...
*''
The State of the World's Animal Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture''
References
{{Authority control
Genetics
Biodiversity