Genetic monitoring

Genetic monitoring means keeping track of the genes or DNA of living things to make sure that they are healthy and not changing too much.

It's a bit like how parents keep an eye on their child's growth and development to make sure everything is going well. Scientists use genetic monitoring to keep track of the health and well-being of different animal and plant populations in the wild, farms, and breeding programs.

Here's how it works:

Inside every living thing's cells, there are tiny parts called genes, which control things like eye color, height, and many other traits. Genetic monitoring means looking at these genes to see if there are any changes or mutations that could be harmful.

For example, let's say scientists are monitoring a population of butterflies. They might collect some butterflies and look at their DNA to see if there are any changes that could cause problems, like making the butterflies more susceptible to disease or less able to find food. They might also compare the DNA of the butterflies to see if there are any differences between different populations or if one group is in danger of dying out.

By keeping track of the genes of different animals and plants, scientists can help protect them from harm, make sure they're healthy, and even breed animals with certain traits that are desirable, like strong disease resistance or fast growth.

So just like how parents watch their children grow and protect them, scientists watch the genes of different organisms, making sure they are healthy and safe.