What is the Difference Between GMO and Selective Breeding

The key difference between GMO and selective breeding is that A GMO is a plant or animal that has undergone a process in which its genes are altered with DNA from different species of living organisms to obtain desired traits, such as disease resistance, while selective breeding is a process where only organisms with desired traits are used to develop the next generation, excluding those lacking the desired trait from the breeding process.

GMO and selective breeding are two strategies that are commonly used in the agricultural industry for crop improvement in order to enhance yield. GMOs can also be used for animals and microorganisms. Both these methods aim to achieve similar outcomes. However, the processes of each method are fundamentally different.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is GMO 
3. What is  Selective Breeding
4. Similarities – GMO and Selective Breeding
5. GMO vs. Selective Breeding in Tabular Form
6. FAQ – GMO and Selective Breeding
7. Summary – GMO vs. Selective Breeding

What is GMO?

A genetically modified organism (GMO) is a plant, animal, microorganism, or other organism whose genetic makeup has been modified through genetic engineering in the laboratory. GMO process creates combinations of plant, animal, bacterial, and virus genes that do not occur in nature.

In 1973, the first genetically modified organism, which was a kanamycin-resistant bacterium, was created by Herbert Boyer Stanley Cohen. In 1974, a scientist at MIT named Rudolf Jaenisch created the first genetically engineered mouse. The first genetically modified plant was developed in 1983, which was a genetically modified tomato. However, GMOs may possess certain risks such as allergy reactions, cancer-causing nature, antibiotic resistance, changes in human DNA, and toxicity to body organs.

What is Selective Breeding?

Selective breeding is a process that involves choosing the best individuals in a population with desirable traits and breeding them together to create offspring with similar traits. It is a traditional technique that has been used for thousands of years to develop plants and animals with desirable traits.

This process has led to the development of popular crops and livestock species such as wheat, corn, and dairy cows. However, the risks associated with selective breeding are reduced genetic variation that can lead to attack by insects or diseases and the selection of rare disease genes as part of a positive trait.

What are the Similarities Between GMO and Selective Breeding?

• GMO and selective breeding are two strategies that are commonly used in the agricultural industry for crop improvement in order to enhance yield.
• Both strategies are driven by human intervention.
• Both these strategies aim to achieve similar outcomes.
• They have risks and problems.

What is the Difference Between GMO and Selective Breeding?

A GMO is a plant or animal that has undergone a process in which its genes are altered with DNA DNA from different species of living organisms to get desired traits like disease resistance, while selective breeding is a process where organisms with desired traits are used to develop the next generation. Thus, this is the key difference between GMO and selective breeding. Furthermore, the results of GMOs can be detectable rapidly, while the results of selecting breeding can only be detectable after a number of generations.

The infographic below presents the differences between GMO and selective breeding in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

FAQ: GMO and Selective Breeding

Why is GMO better than selective breeding?

GMOs avoid introducing unwanted genes with undesirable traits that occur in selective breeding. Hence, GMO is better than selective breeding.

What are the 3 advantages of selective breeding?

Higher resistance to pests and disease, higher yield, and allowing plants to grow on lands not previously suitable for farming are 3 advantages of selective breeding.

What is the best example of selective breeding?

Dog breeding is a popular example of selective breeding.

Summary – GMO vs. Selective Breeding

Both GMO and selective breeding aim to improve crops, animals, etc. But they are fundamentally different processes. GMO is a modern technique that involves the direct manipulation of the DNA of an organism to introduce specific traits, while selective breeding is a traditional technique that relies on natural genetic diversity. Moreover, the results of GMOs can be detectable rapidly, whereas the results of selecting breeding can only be detectable after a number of generations, and hence it is a slow process. So, this summarizes the difference between GMO and selective breeding.

Reference:

1. “Selective Breeding.” Encyclopædia Britannica, Encyclopædia Britannica, inc.
2. “Genetically Modified Organisms.” Education, National Geographic.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Sectio caesarea” By The original uploader was Barbarossa at Dutch Wikipedia. – Transferred from nl. Wikipedia to Commons. (CC BY-SA 3.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Blue Rose APPLAUSE” By Blue Rose Man – 本人購入物撮影 (CC0) via Commons Wikimedia