The Mendel Laws of Inheritance characterize the genetics of an individual. Mendel experimented on the crossover of peas and concluded seven statements for their genetic behavior. This was the origin of Mendel’s Laws of Genetic Inheritance.
Breeding is the method that uses Mendel’s laws to manipulate the positive qualities or the required attributes in future generations of offspring via the process of mating and pairing up genes.
Key Takeaways
- A purebred animal is the offspring of two parents of the same breed, while a hybrid is the offspring of two parents of different breeds or species.
- Purebreds are bred for specific traits and have a predictable appearance and temperament, while hybrids are bred for hybrid vigor and may have a wider range of traits.
- Purebreds are more likely to have health problems due to inbreeding, while hybrids may be healthier due to their genetic diversity.
Hybrid vs. Purebred
A hybrid animal is the offspring of two different breeds or species. In the case of dogs, a hybrid is commonly a “crossbreed.” A purebred animal is the result of selective breeding within a single breed. In the case of dogs, a purebred dog is one that is bred from two dogs of the same breed.

Hybrids result from a cross between two animals or breeds of the same animal. They are the resulting offspring of the two heterozygous parents. The offspring receives their genes from two different parents with different genes.
Purebred are animals that have genes belonging to a single gene of parents. They are the resulting offspring of the two homozygous parents and receive their genes from their homozygous parents.
Comparison Table
Parameters of Comparison | Hybrid | Purebred |
---|---|---|
Meaning | Hybrid is the resulting offspring of the cross of two heterozygous parents. | Purebred is the resulting offspring of the mating between two homozygous parents. |
Genotype | Different from that of their parents. | Similar genes as that of the parents. |
Phenotype | Different from that of their parents due to the gene cross. | Same phenotype as that of parents. |
Category | Inter-specific and Intra-specific. | Intra-specific only. |
Importance | Improvement in required characteristics by fusing the distinct allele. | Helps in the continuation of the specific species or the specific breed. |
Examples | Mules (a cross between horse and donkey). Hybrid pea plants will have purple flowers when the alleles are Pp as the dominant trait takes over. | Kitten, whose parents are both Siamese. Purebred pea plants will have white flowers when the alleles are pp as the recessive trait takes over, and when bear purple flowers when alleles are PP. |
What is a Hybrid?
Hybrids are the resulting offspring of a cross between two animals or two breeds of the same animal. They are supposed to have two heterozygous parents.
Hybrids are organisms that have two different organisms as their parents. This is done to improve the genetic quality of individuals, whether they be plants or animals.
There are many types of hybrid. The most common hybrid are those produced by crossbreeding between two species of the same animal. The second type includes a hybrid between the different subspecies, such as inter-familial, inter-generic, and intra-specific.
The third hybrid type is produced to improvise a particular characteristic or induce a new feature, such as in milk production, wool production, heat tolerance, etc.

What is Purebred?
Purebred are animals having genes that belong to parents of similar genetic orientation. They are the offspring of the two homozygous parents and have genes from their homozygous parents.
These are denoted as the true-breeding product where the like species are mated. Purebred have predictable, repeatable, and reliable fundamental characteristics, which are easy to find out by their parents.
When present in offspring, undesirable traits may result from conjugation. Purebred offspring are very susceptible to various types of congenital health issues.

Main Differences Between Hybrid and Purebred
- Hybrids can be both intra-specific and inter-specific, but purebreds are intra-specific.
- Purebreds are true breeders, while hybrids are not.
