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Glite Dictionary
to backcross

to backcross

9.9
To breed a hybrid plant or animal with one parent so the offspring have a wanted trait
  • verb
  • /ˈbækˌkrɔs/
  • Specialized
translation icon : retrocruzar
  • The scientists decided to backcross the hybrid plants with their parent species to enhance desirable traits like disease resistance.
  • backcrossed to C57BL/6

Examples

  • Agribiotechnology research in rich countries might also provide valuable spillover benefits for conventional plant breeders in poor countries because transgenic crop improvements developed in labs in the industrial world can so easily be backcrossed into local crop varieties using ordinary, traditional breeding techniques.

    Academic text (2001)

  • All the mutant strains used in this study were backcrossed to a C57BL/6 background, as stated by Jackson inventory and the donating investigators.

    Academic text (2017)

  • The heterozygous (het) mice were backcrossed at least 10 generations into the C57BL6 strain (N10).

    Academic text (2017)

  • To improve yield and flavor, farmers often backcross new crop varieties with traditional strains.

  • Researchers will backcross the genetically modified organisms with non-modified ones to study how the traits are inherited.

Synonyms

to recross
vsto backcross
  • Specialized
8.6

To mate a young animal or plant again with one parent to keep a trait

mates a hybrid with a parent to produce offspring with a chosen trait

How Often

to inbreed
  • Specialized
1 7.7
to backcross
  • Specialized
9.9
to recross
  • Specialized
8.6
cross
  • Specialized
105 5.9

Surface Forms

backcross infinitive
backcrossed past
backcrossed past participle
backcrossing present participle
backcrosses third person singular

Morphology

backcross = cross (semi-transparent) = back + cross

The components 'back' + 'cross' suggest 'crossing back' or 'crossing with a parent', but the exact technical genetic procedure is specialized vocabulary. [Postprocessing: moved 'back' from base_words to prefix]

Etymology

The verb backcross is made of back and cross: cross means 'to mate', as in crossbreed, and back means 'return'. So to backcross a mixed animal or plant, a 'hybrid', is to mate it again with one parent to 'return' the offspring toward the parent's traits and keep a desired quality.