How Do You Spell BACKCROSSING?

Pronunciation: [bˈakkɹɒsɪŋ] (IPA)

"Backcrossing" is spelled with a "ck" instead of just a "k" because the "c" before the "k" indicates a soft pronunciation of the "k" sound. In IPA phonetic transcription, this is represented as /bækˈkrɒsɪŋ/ with the "k" sound being represented by the symbol /k/ and the soft pronunciation being represented by the symbol /k̟/. Backcrossing refers to the process of crossing a hybrid organism back with one of its parent organisms to enhance or recover specific traits.

BACKCROSSING Meaning and Definition

1. Backcrossing refers to a plant or animal breeding technique where individuals from the offspring generation of a crossbreeding are crossed back with one of the parent organisms. This process is used to reintroduce desirable traits from the parental organism into the hybrid offspring for further refinement. Primarily, it involves crossing a hybrid organism with one of its parent organisms, where the offspring share genetic similarities with the parent.

   The main objective of backcrossing is to selectively retain the genetic traits of the parent organism that are considered advantageous or valuable, while simultaneously reducing the genetic material from the hybrid offspring. This creates a more stable and uniform population of organisms that possess the desired traits from the parent.

   Backcrossing is commonly utilized in agriculture and horticulture to produce plants with increased resistance to diseases, improved yield, or enhanced nutritional qualities. It allows breeders to refine and consolidate the desired traits over generations, gradually minimizing the presence of undesirable characteristics from the hybrid offspring.

   In animal breeding, backcrossing serves a similar purpose, allowing breeders to selectively breed individuals that exhibit specific traits from the parent organisms. This technique aids in the production of animals with desired physical attributes, temperaments, or performance abilities, ensuring the preservation and amplification of favorable qualities within a particular breed.

   Overall, backcrossing serves as an effective breeding technique for modifying the genetic composition of plants and animals, enabling breeders to produce populations with targeted traits and increasing the overall success and adaptability of the organisms.

Etymology of BACKCROSSING

The word "backcrossing" is derived from the combination of two terms: "back" and "crossing".

The term "back" refers to going in the opposite direction, returning to a previous state or place. In genetics, "backcrossing" refers to the process of crossing an offspring with one of its parents or an individual from the parental generation. This step aims to reintroduce specific traits or characteristics of the original parent into subsequent generations.

The term "crossing" in genetics refers to the act of breeding individuals from different genetic backgrounds to produce offspring with desirable traits.

Therefore, "backcrossing" in genetics implies the deliberate breeding of an offspring with one of its parents to reinforce or retain specific traits from the parental generation.

Similar spelling word for BACKCROSSING

• bookcrossing.