In this deck, we'll explore three ways humans can influence the characteristics of organisms: selective breeding, genetic engineering, and cloning. We'll start with the oldest method, selective breeding, before moving on to the more modern techniques of genetic engineering and cloning, examining the processes, applications, and ethical considerations for each.

Selective breeding, also known as artificial selection, is a process where humans choose organisms with desirable characteristics and breed them together. This has been done for thousands of years with both plants and animals to produce offspring that are more useful to us.

The process of selective breeding is straightforward but takes a long time. First, you select parents that both show the desired characteristic, for example, cows that produce a lot of milk. You breed them together. From their offspring, you again select the ones that best show the desired trait and breed them. This process is repeated over many generations, gradually enhancing the characteristic.