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Animals that reproduce via Both Methods
Animals that reproduce via Both Methods
Some organisms can reproduce both sexually and asexually, depending on the circumstances it experiences. Examples include the malaria parasite, and many plant and fungi species.
Some animals can switch between the different methods of reproduction - sexual or asexual - depending on their circumstances. Handy!
In this lesson, we'll take a look at four examples.
Malaria is a life-threatening condition caused by a parasite that affects humans. Do you know where we get malaria from?
If a mosquito that is infected with the malarial parasite, bites a human, malaria can be transferred to humans.
The malarial parasite reproduces using both methods of reproduction. It reproduces sexually in the mosquito and ...
What can be said about the malarial parasite when it is in humans?
You can select multiple answers
Many fungi species can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Fungi can reproduce asexually by producing spores which develop into another fungus. How do you think they reproduce sexually?
When do you think spores would use asexual and sexual reproduction? Pick one option for sexual and one option for asexual reproduction.
You can select multiple answers
Sexual reproduction more important in varied environments because it introduces...
The last example involves plants. While many plants produces seeds sexually, they can also reproduce asexually, for example strawberry plants and daffodils. Each of these plant species use asexual reproduction in different ways.
Strawberry plants grow, using runners. These runners grow horizontally, flat to the soil, away from the main strawberry plant. Along this runner, whole new strawberry plants grow. These new plants are...
Daffodils grow from bulbs.
New daughter bulbs can divide off from the parent bulb. Each new bulb can grow a new daffodil plant.
How much genetic information does each daughter bulb share?
A) 100% B) 50% C) 25%
Answer A, B or C.
To summarise
Malarial parasites...
reproduce sexually in mosquitos and asexually in humans.
Fungi...
reproduce (via spores) asexually when conditions for the parent are good and sexually (also vis spores) when conditions are poor or varied, to create genetic variation in the offspring.
Strawberry plants...
reproduce sexually to produce seeds and asexually to send out new runners.
Daffodils...
reproduce sexually to produce seeds and asexually to make daughter bulbs.