AIIMS 2019 Botany Inbreeding MCQ Question

Inbreeding depression refers to the reduced biological fitness in a population due to the mating of closely related individuals, which often leads to an increase in homozygosity and the expression of deleterious alleles, ultimately decreasing productivity (Option A). In contrast, outcrossing (Option B) can introduce genetic diversity and mitigate the negative effects of inbreeding depression. Producing purelines (Option C) is a characteristic of inbreeding, as it leads to uniformity in traits, while increasing homozygosity (Option D) is a direct consequence of inbreeding, resulting in a higher likelihood of inheriting identical alleles from both parents.