Question

All living organisms produce young ones of their own kind. Which life process is responsible for it? Explain in detail.

Answer 1

Hint: The living organisms produce new individuals in order to continue the existence of them. Here propagation of the traits occurs by reproducing the offsprings.

Complete answer: All living organisms produce their offsprings and create a new generation to propagate, to continue the existence of the species. The process by which this occurs is called reproduction.
1. Reproduction is a mechanism of life that enables an organism to re-produce its offspring. 2. There are two types of reproduction, viz. sexual and asexual.
3. Sexual reproduction involves two parents from the opposite sexes, while asexual reproduction involves a single parent.
4. Asexual reproduction occurs in lower invertebrates mostly.
5. It requires a comparatively short time span and the individual which asexually reproduces actually creates its miniature or almost genetically similar offspring.
6. The gametes do not play any role here.
7. On the other hand, asexual reproduction takes place in higher invertebrates and all vertebrates.
8. It plays a major role in evolution because it brings variation.
9. Here gametes (male and female) are produced and they fuse to create a zygote.
10. The zygote then grows into a complete mature individual.

Note: In sexual reproduction, the production of gametes takes place by a unique type of cell division called meiosis. During meiosis, the exchange of genes occurs (crossing over) which leads to variation in species. In asexual reproduction, no such scenario takes place.