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Asexual and Sexual Reproduction

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18 views17 pages

Asexual and Sexual Reproduction

Uploaded by

ponnambhuvi
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Comparison of asexual and

sexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction is the process by which a single organism
produces genetically identical offspring

This type of reproduction is most common in single cell


organisms like bacteria, but can be found in more complex
organisms as well.
Advantages of asexual reproduction
• Rapid population growth
• Requires less energy to reproduce
• All organisms are capable of reproduction (not just the females
of the species
• One organism can make a whole population
• Less likely to become extinct
• Each offspring is a genetic copy of the parent
Disadvantages of Asexual Reproduction
• The primary disadvantage of asexual reproduction is: THERE
IS NO GENETIC DIVERSITY!

• This means that a population of genetically identical organisms


is more susceptible to disease and can’t adapt easily to a
changing environment.
Types of Asexual Reproduction
There are four main types of asexual reproduction:
1. Binary Fission
2. Budding
3. Vegetative Propagation
4. Regeneration
Binary Fission
• Binary fission occurs when one parent splits into two offspring
• This is how all bacteria and some single celled protists
reproduce
• Bacterial binary fission is the process that bacteria use to carry
out cell division. Binary fission is similar in concept to the
mitosis that happens in multicellular organisms (such as plants
and animals)
• DNA replication actually happens at the same time as DNA
separation during binary fission
Budding
• Budding occurs when a new organism develops from an
outgrowth or bud due to cell division at one particular site
• Simple organisms such as some protists and some simple
eukaryotes reproduce by budding
• Example: In hydra, a bud develops as an outgrowth due to
repeated cell division at one specific site. These buds develop
into tiny individuals and, when fully mature, detach from the
parent body and become new independent individuals
Regeneration
Regeneration occurs when an organism can regrow a lost limb or
can grow a whole other organism on a cut off piece

This is common in simple multicellular creatures such as worms,


starfish
Vegetative Propagation
• Vegetative propagation occurs when a new plant grows off an
existing part of an old plant
• Many plants can use vegetative propagation
• Examples:
• Grasses
• Potato plants
• Strawberries
Sexual Reproduction
• Sexual reproduction requires two organisms
• Each organism has specialized sex cells called gametes
• Animals have sperm (male) and ovum (female)
• Plants have pollen and ovum
• Sexual reproduction happens when the two sex cells fuse
together (fusion) to create a new and genetically different
offspring
Advantages of Sexual Reproduction
• Sexual reproduction allows for more genetic diversity in the
offspring
• More adaptability
• More variation
• Greater chance of mutation
• Greater chance of survivability when faced with environmental
change
Disadvantages of Sexual Reproduction
• It requires two individuals with opposing gametes (sex cells)
• Organisms must use a lot of energy nourishing and growing a
new organism.
Comparison of asexual and sexual reproduction

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