ASEXUAL

REPRODUCTION
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
 is a type of reproduction by which offspring arise
from a single organism, and inherit the genes of
that parent only; it does not involve the fusion
of gametes, and almost never changes the
number of chromosomes. Asexual reproduction is
the primary form of reproduction for single-celled
organisms such as archaea and bacteria.
Many plants and fungi sometimes reproduce
asexually.
 While all prokaryotes reproduce without the
formation and fusion of gametes, mechanisms
for lateral gene transfer such
as conjugation, transformation and transduction
can be likened to sexual reproduction in the
sense of genetic recombination in meiosis.[1] A
complete lack of sexual reproduction is relatively
rare among multicellular organisms, particularly
animals. It is not entirely understood why the
ability to reproduce sexually is so common among
them. Current hypotheses
 suggest that asexual reproduction may have
short term benefits when rapid population
growth is important or in stable environments,
while sexual reproduction offers a net advantage
by allowing more rapid generation of genetic
diversity, allowing adaptation to changing
environments. Developmental constraints may
underlie why few animals have relinquished
sexual reproduction completely in their life-
cycles. Another constraint on switching from
sexual to asexual reproduction would be the
concomitant loss of meiosis and the protective
recombinational repair of DNA damage afforded
as one function of meiosis.
 Gametes a mature haploid male or female germ
cell that is able to unite with another of the
opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a
zygote.

 CHROMOSOMES a threadlike structure of

nucleic acids and protein found in the nucleus of
most living cells, carrying genetic information in
the form of genes.
 A prokaryote is a unicellular organism that lacks
a membrane-bound nucleus, mitochondria, or any
other membrane-bound organelle.
Term Definition

Reproduction that involves a single parent; results in offspring that are all genetically
asexual reproduction
identical to the parent.

Asexual reproduction in which an offspring cell pinches off from the parent cell; occurs in
budding
yeasts.

cell division Process in which a parent cell divides to form two daughter cells.

diploid Having two sets of chromosomes.

fertilization Union of two gametes that produces a diploid zygote.

Process in which a parent organism breaks into fragments, or pieces, and each fragment
fragmentation
develops into a new organism.

gamete Reproductive cell produced during meiosis that has the haploid number of chromosomes.

haploid Having one set of chromosomes.

Type of cell division in which the number of chromosomes is reduced by half and four
meiosis
haploid cells result.

zygote Diploid cell that forms when two haploid gametes unite during fertilization.