Definition of Hybridization



Hybridization is the phenomenon in which the two organisms that belong to the different species or varieties are interbred. These two organisms have characteristics that are almost similar to each other. It is occasionally used synonymously with the term crossbreeding. But in crossbreeding, the offspring are produced when two purebred individuals belonging to different breeds and varieties or even species, mate with each other.

 


The process of hybridization has significance in agriculture where a hybrid-crop is to be made that is both hardy and disease resistant. It can also be defined in relation to molecular biology, according to which it is a process of forming a double-stranded DNA/RNA (hybrid molecule) by binding the two single-stranded DNA/RNA molecules isolated from different sources. It is also known as nucleic acid hybridization in particular.

 

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