What is the process of breeding organisms for specific desirable traits called?

The process of breeding organisms for specific desirable traits is known as selective breeding. This technique involves choosing parent organisms with particular characteristics to reproduce, thereby enhancing the likelihood that their offspring will also express those desired traits. This method has been widely utilized in agriculture and animal husbandry to produce crops and livestock with improved qualities, such as increased yield, disease resistance, or improved flavor.

In contrast, the other choices refer to different concepts in genetics and biology. For example, a gene pool refers to the total collection of genes within a population, highlighting genetic diversity rather than the intentional manipulation of traits. Cloning involves creating a genetically identical copy of an organism, which does not directly involve the selection of traits. DNA fingerprinting is a technique used to identify individuals based on unique patterns in their DNA, often for forensic purposes, but it doesn’t pertain to the breeding process.