Asexual reproduction
Reproduction in biological terms is the production of offspring from an organism. Every living thing reproduces as a means of continuing its existence. The process of reproduction in some living things is very simple while in others it is more complex.
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Asexual reproduction is when an organism creates from itself a new organism that has the same genes. In Asexual reproduction there is only one parent. There are a number of organisms that reproduce in this fashion including, starfishes, sponges and sea anemones.
Types of asexual reproduction
Fragmentation
This is when a parent organism breaks into different parts and each of these parts develops into a new organism.
Regeneration
This is when a detached part of an organism is able to develop into a new organism.
Budding
This is when an organism is able to sprout or grow a copy of itself from its body.
Parthenogenesis
This is when an egg develops into a new organism without being fertilized.
Organisms that reproduce asexually are:
Bees, wasps, ants, starfish, sponges, hydras, planarians, and some fishes. There are plants that reproduce asexually. Plants that create a rhizome, bulb, tuber, runner, cutting, or corm, the plant is reproducing asexually.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Sexual reproduction is the production of a new organism through the union of egg and sperm. In this form of reproduction, the new organism receives half of its genes from each parent. This makes the offspring genetically unique and different from their parent.
When an egg is fertilized the cells begin to divide. This continues until it grows into a new organism. With some animals, fertilization takes place outside of the female’s body.
Some fishes as well as frogs lay eggs and the male deposits its sperm on the eggs to fertilize them. In many animals, fertilization takes place inside the female’s body. The male deposits sperm inside the female and it meets the eggs and fertilizes it.
HOW DO PLANTS REPRODUCE?
Plants can reproduce sexually and asexually. Plants can reproduce asexually by “budding”. The plant sprouts a new plant out of itself. Plants that reproduce from a seed reproduce sexually.
These plants can be males having stamen and pollen while some plants are females having pistils. Pollen is taken to the pistils by insects such as butterflies and bees or carried by the wind. Some plants are unique in that they have both pollen and pistils.
