Here's a breakdown of their similarities:
* Goal: Both aim to improve desired traits within a population of organisms. These traits could include increased milk production in cows, faster growth in crops, or even desired physical characteristics in pets.
* Method: Both involve selecting individuals with the desired traits and allowing them to reproduce, while excluding individuals without those traits.
* Outcome: Both result in a population with a higher frequency of the desired genes, leading to a more desirable overall phenotype.
While the terms are interchangeable, "genetic breeding" might be used in a broader context, emphasizing the direct manipulation of genes to achieve desired outcomes. This could involve techniques like genetic engineering, which wouldn't necessarily be considered "selective breeding."
Therefore, when discussing the traditional method of selecting and breeding organisms with desired traits, both "selective breeding" and "genetic breeding" are equally valid terms.