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Asexual Reproduction
Asexual Reproduction
Asexual reproduction involves one parent only, and no gamete fusion. This process produces clones by mitosis. Asexual reproduction has its own set of advantages, however.
Asexual reproduction does not involve the fusion of gametes from two different individuals. How many parents do you think are involved in asexual reproduction?
Asexual reproduction is where an individual produces offspring without combining their gametes with another individual. Essentially, one parent produces children on their own! Bacteria, for example, reproduce like this.
If there is no mixing of genetic material between two individuals, what can you say about the genetic information between offspring and parent in asexual reproduction?
Offspring in asexual reproduction can be described as clones.
What type of cell division takes place during asexual reproduction?
There are advantages of both sexual and asexual reproduction. Why would it be an advantage for some organisms to only need one parent, as for asexual reproduction?
So asexual reproduction saves time and energy because individuals don't have to find a mate. This can be useful if individuals are few and far between.
How would you describe asexual reproduction compared to sexual reproduction?
So it is a disadvantage of asexual reproduction that there is no genetic variation in the offspring, because generations of offspring can't adapt to changes in the environment. But now imagine an environment that doesn't change. What would the advantage of asexual reproduction be then?
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Now, what are the disadvantages of asexual reproduction? Pick all the options you think are correct.
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