 <p>The <code>&gt;</code> means that the <code>option:selected</code> must be a child, or direct descendant of <code>#OrganiastionSettingsAll</code>. The example without the <code>&gt;</code> means that <code>option:selected</code> can be a descendant at any level of <code>#OrganiastionSettingsAll</code>.</p> <blockquote> <p>The child combinator (E > F) can be thought of as a more specific form of the descendant combinator (E F) in that it selects only first-level descendants.</p> </blockquote> <p>Ref: <a href="http://api.jquery.com/child-selector/" rel="nofollow">http://api.jquery.com/child-selector/</a></p>