Asexual reproduction
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Asexual reproduction is also known as agamogenesis. It is a special form of reproduction, where only one parent is needed to make an identical copy of itself. The main process governing asexual reproduction is Mitosis. This type of reproduction is common among simple single-cell creatures, for example, an amoeba. Many plants also reproduce asexually.
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[change] Types of Asexual Reproduction
[change] Binary Fission
Some organisms like Bacteria reproduce using Binary Fission, it is when they split in two, so one bacteria becomes two bacteria. This always leads to daughter cells, never male cells and the offspring will always be identical to the parent.
[change] Budding
Budding is a something similar to Binary Fission, but it is used by plants and some animals, which cannot simply split in half as bacteria can. It is when a small part of a plant or animal breaks off and then, while they are separated from their "mother", they start to grow until both the "parent" and the "offspring" are the same size and both are capable of budding again. This will happen many more times
[change] Spores
Fungi (for example, mushrooms) produce spores, which inside them have the genetic material to make a whole new organism identical to its parent. It's like budding, but with gametes rather than original parts of the organism.
[change] Sexual Reproduction vs Asexual Reproduction
| Type | Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|---|
| Asexual Reproduction | No gestation period. No mate needed. Two offspring each time | No variation in the species. No contact between the male and the female |
| Sexual Reproduction | Variation of the species. Contact between male and female | Sometimes offspring are abnormal. Gestation period |
