Reproduction in Animals Class 8
Modes of Reproduction in Animals
The first section of Reproduction in Animals Class 10 talks about the forms of animal
reproduction. There are various forms of reproduction depending on the number of
parents involved. There are two forms of reproduction in animals:
1. Sexual Reproduction
2. Asexual Reproduction
Sexual Reproduction in Animals
Sexual reproduction is the result of male and female gametes fusing together to create
a new organism. Let’s take a look at the human reproductive organs and how they help
in fertility as per Class 8 chapter on Reproduction in Animals.
Male Reproductive Organs
A pair of testes, two sperm ducts, and a penis are among the male reproductive organs.
Sperm are male gametes formed by the testes. The testes contain millions of sperm, as
shown in the illustration below of a sperm. Despite their tiny scale, sperm have a head,
a middle section, and a tail. Each sperm is, in fact, a single cell with all of the normal cell
components.
Courtesy: Microbenotes
Courtesy: Sarthak eConnect
Female Reproductive Organs
Moving to the next topic in Class 8 Reproduction in Animals, the female reproductive
organs constitute a pair of ovaries, oviducts, and the uterus. Ovary creates ova, which
are feminine gametes. Per month, one of the ovaries releases a single matured egg
into the oviduct in humans. The uterus is the area of the body where the baby develops.
An egg is a single cell, much like sperm.
Courtesy: Microbnotes
Fertilization
Courtesy: AskIITians
Fertilisation is another important topic you will study in Class 8 Reproduction in Animals.
There are millions of sperm in the sperm. During fertilisation, a single sperm fuses with
the ova. The egg and sperm nuclei join together to create a new nucleus. As a result, a
zygote is formed.
There are two methods of fertilisation:
Internal Fertilization
Internal fertilisation is the process of fertilisation that takes place within the female’s
body. People, pigs, dogs, and other species are examples. In terrestrial animals, this
approach is more common. Some marine species, however, also use this technique.
This may happen either by the male directly injecting sperm into the female reproductive
tract or by the male depositing sperm in the area, which the female picks up and injects
into her reproductive tract.
They are three ways by which babies are produced by internal fertilization:
1. Oviparity– The fertilised eggs are laid outdoors, where the yolk provides nutrition.
2. Ovoviviparity– The fertilised eggs are stored in the female’s shell, where the yolk
provides nourishment. Before the eggs are hatched, they are laid.
3. Viviparity– Instead of hatching from the eggs, the offspring are born alive. The
mother provides them with food. Mammals are examples of this.
External Fertilization
External fertilisation refers to fertilisation that happens outside of the person. Frogs and
fish, for example. The majority of fertilisation occurs during the spawning period.
Spawning is triggered by environmental signals such as water temperature.
Oviparous and viviparous animals are two separate classes of animals categorised
according to how they fertilise their offspring. The main difference between oviparous
and viviparous animals are listed below:
Basis Oviparous Viviparous
Definition Egg-laying animals are Animals that give birth to
called Oviparous. the young ones are called
Viviparous.
Fertilization Fertilization can be either Fertilization can only be
internal or external. internal.
Development of embryo Nutrient is provided by the Nutrient is provided by the
egg yolk. mother through the
placenta
Development of zygote The embryo develops very The embryo grows
little or not at all inside the completely inside the
mother. mother’s womb.
Chances of Survival Since the eggs are laid Since the young one is
outside the womb, there safe within the mother, it
are less chances of has a better chance of
survival. surviving.
Examples Insects, hens, fish, Humans, dogs, cats,
amphibians, etc. horses, etc.
Embryo Development
The zygote separates into a ball of cells after repeated divisions. This is known as the
developing embryo. These cells differentiate into respective tissues and organs. The
embryo gets implanted in the uterine wall. This process is known as implantation.
A foetus is formed when all of the embryo’s body parts become apparent. In humans,
the foetus develops after nine months.
Asexual Reproduction in Animals:
Asexual reproduction is the second most common form of reproduction in animals, after
sexual reproduction. Lower species and unicellular microbes are the most common
examples of this form of reproduction.
It is the mechanism by which a new entity is created without the presence of the gamete
formation by a single parent. Genetically and morphologically, the individuals produced
are alike. It’s found in single-celled species. There is no fertilisation and the cells
separate by mitotic division. The separation happens very fast.
Types Of Asexual Reproduction
Let’s take a look at the types of asexual reproduction as elaborated in Class 8
Reproduction in Animals:
Binary Fission
Amoeba and euglena are examples of Binary Fission. The parent cell goes through
mitosis and grows in size. The nucleus separates as well. Two equivalent daughter
cells, each with a nucleus, are obtained. Binary fission is the most common form of
reproduction for prokaryotes including bacteria.
Budding
In this situation, the offspring emerges from the parent’s womb. When it matures, it
stays bound to the parent. It separates from the parent after maturation and survives as
a separate entity. Hydras use this method of reproduction the most.
Fragmentation
When the body of an entity, such as a Planarian, splits into many parts, each piece
develops into an independent offspring. Fragmentation is the term for this. It may
happen as a result of predator-caused harm or as a natural form of reproduction. A
fractured arm develops into a full organism in a few species, such as the sea star.
Regeneration
It is a form of fragmentation that is found mainly in Echinoderms. When a part of an
individual, such as an arm, splits from its parent body, it transforms into a different entity.
This is referred to as regeneration.
Parthenogenesis
This is an asexual reproduction method in which the egg forms without being fertilised.
Bees, wasps, ants, aphids, rotifers, and other insects engage in this process. Hemiploid
males are produced by ants, wasps, and bees. When females were separated from
males, parthenogenesis was found in a few vertebrates such as hammerhead sharks,
Komodo dragons, and blacktop sharks.
