HeterosisHeterosis, hybrid vigor, or outbreeding enhancement is the improved or increased function of any biological quality in a hybrid offspring. An offspring is heterotic if its traits are enhanced as a result of mixing the genetic contributions of its parents. The heterotic offspring often has traits that are more than the simple addition of the parents' traits, and can be explained by Mendelian or non-Mendelian inheritance.Complementation (genetics)Complementation refers to the capacity of a segment of genetic material (e.g. DNATooltip Deoxyribonucleic acid) to rescue the phenotype of a mutation. It shows that a copy of the gene affected by the mutation is contained within the segment of genetic material and provides an important criterion for deciding which mutations affect which genes.Inbreeding depressionInbreeding depression is the reduced biological fitness caused by loss of genetic diversity as a result of inbreeding, or mating between closely related individuals within a species. This reduction of fitness occurs because inbreeding increases genetic similarity, which can amplify harmful genes and overall decreases diversity.
MutationAlteration in the nucleotide sequence of a genomeThree major single-chromosome mutations: deletion (1), duplication (2) and inversion (3).In biology, a mutation is an alteration in the nucleic acid sequence of the genome of an organism, virus, or extrachromosomal DNA. Mutations result from errors during replication, mitosis, meiosis, or damage to DNA, which then may trigger error-prone repair or cause an error during replication (translesion synthesis).
Mendelian inheritanceMendelian inheritance (also known as Mendelism) is a type of biologicalinheritance following the principles originally proposed by Gregor Mendel in 1865 and 1866, re-discovered in 1900 by Hugo de Vries and Carl Correns, and later popularized by William Bateson. Its defining characteristic is heavy association with a singular gene. The principles were initially controversial.
Genetic diversityGenetic 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 distinguished from genetic variability, which describes the tendency of genetic characteristics to vary. Genetic diversity serves as a way for populations to adapt to changing environments.
Animal husbandryManagement of farm animalsCattle feedlot in Colorado, United StatesAnimal husbandry is the branch of agriculture concerned with the human practices of raising captive or domesticatedanimals for harvesting valuable animal products or to train animals to provide labour or services.
Self-pollinationSelf-pollination is a form of pollination in which pollen arrives at the stigma of a flower (in flowering plants) or at the ovule (in gymnosperms) of the same plant. The term cross-pollination is used for the opposite case, where pollen from one plant moves to a different plant.Self-incompatibilitySelf-incompatibility (SI) is a general name for any genetic mechanism that prevents self-fertilization in fertile hermaphroditic organisms, and thus encourages outcrossing and allogamy. It is contrasted with separation of sexes among individuals (dioecy), and their various modes of spatial (herkogamy) and temporal (dichogamy) separation. SI is best-studied and particularly common in flowering plants, although it is present in other groups, including sea squirts and fungi.
FertilisationFertilisation or fertilization (see spelling differences), also known as generative fertilisation, syngamy and impregnation, is the fusion of gametes to give rise to a zygote and initiate its development into a new individual organism or offspring. While processes such as insemination or pollination, which happen before the fusion of gametes, are also sometimes informally referred to as fertilisation, these are technically separate processes.*As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.