Final answer:
Artificial selection is the process where humans breed plants and animals for specific traits, making the artificial seem natural. It is directed by human preferences, in contrast to natural selection, which occurs through environmental pressures.
Step-by-step explanation:
The collective processes that make the artificial seem natural is referred to as artificial selection. This concept is grounded in biology and relates to the intentional breeding practices by humans, aimed at enhancing specific desirable traits within a species. Artificial selection is comparable to natural selection in that both processes lead to organisms being better adapted to their respective environments over time. However, the primary distinction is that artificial selection is driven by human choice, whereas natural selection occurs through environmental pressures without human intervention.
Examples of artificial selection include the cultivation of vegetables like broccoli, cabbage, and kale from wild mustard, or the training of animals for certain behaviors. This process is evident in various fields, such as agriculture, where we see a wide range of plants and animals bred for their valuable attributes to humans.