Asexual reproduction involves one parent and produces offspring that are genetically identical to each other and to the parent. Sexual reproduction involves two parents and produces offspring that are genetically unique.
Explanation:
Asexual Reproduction
Asexual reproduction involves a single parent. It results in offspring that are genetically identical to each other
and to the parent. All prokaryotes and some eukaryotes reproduce this way. There are several different methods of
asexual reproduction. They include binary fission, fragmentation, and budding.
• Binary fission occurs when a parent cell splits into two identical daughter cells of the same size.
• Fragmentation occurs when a parent organism breaks into fragments, or pieces, and each fragment develops
into a new organism. Starfish, reproduce this way. A new starfish can develop from
a single ray, or arm. Starfish, however, are also capable of sexual reproduction.
• Budding occurs when a parent cell forms a bubble-like bud. The bud stays attached to the parent cell while
it grows and develops. When the bud is fully developed, it breaks away from the parent cell and forms a new
organism.
Asexual reproduction can be very rapid. This is an advantage for many organisms. It allows them to crowd out
other organisms that reproduce more slowly. Bacteria, for example, may divide several times per hour. Under ideal
conditions, 100 bacteria can divide to produce millions of bacterial cells in just a few hours! However, most bacteria
do not live under ideal conditions. If they did, the entire surface of the planet would soon be covered with them.
Instead, their reproduction is kept in check by limited resources, predators, and their own wastes. This is true of
most other organisms as well.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction involves two parents.
reproductive cells—called gametes—that unite to form an offspring. Gametes are haploid cells. This means they
contain only half the number of chromosomes found in other cells of the organism. Gametes are produced by a
type of cell division called meiosis, which is described in detail in a subsequent concept. The process in which two
gametes unite is called fertilization. The fertilized cell that results is referred to as a zygote. A zygote is diploid
cell, which means that it has twice the number of chromosomes as a gamete.
