Question

Differentiate seasonal breeders from continuous breeders.

Answer 1

Hint: Breeding is related to sexual reproduction in organisms that produce offspring. It occurs between a male and a female organism and these two are referred to as breeders.
Breeders can be seasonal or continuous depending upon their needs and environmental condition. It can be the same or different in different species. The difference between these two types of breeders has been given below -

Complete answer:

Seasonal breeders	Continuous breeders
-These are the organisms that mate or breed during certain seasons of the year.	-These are the organisms that mate or breed throughout the year regardless of the season.
-Those organisms which successfully mate during particular seasons of the year. During those times (which vary from organism to organism), temperature, availability of food, and water are optimum and also there are fewer predators or there’s a change in the behavior of predators. Females of such categories undergo estrus cycles and remain fertile and receptive to mating. At other times of the year, they continue to be sexually inactive. Males of such categories exhibit changes in physiology.	-Those organisms can successfully mate and breed throughout the year regardless of the season. Females of such categories undergo cyclical changes (menstrual cycle) and males always remain ready to cooperate.
-The female seasonal breeders will have one or more estrus cycles only when she is fertile and receptive to mating that is only during mating season. During the rest of the year, they will be anestrus.	-The females are sexually receptive at estrus the time when ovarian follicles are maturing and ovulation can occur.
-For example, Frogs, Lizards (Non-primate mammals) were seasonal breeders.	-For example, Poultry, Rabbit, Cattle, Apes (Primate mammals) were continuous breeders.

Note: -The hypothalamus is considered to have the central control for reproduction due to its role in hormone regulation. This factor determines when a seasonal breeder will be ready for mating.
-Length of the day affects the seasonal breeder through changes in melatonin secretion by the pineal gland that ultimately alters GnRH release by the hypothalamus.
-Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is a hormone responsible for the release of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinizing hormone (LH) from the anterior pituitary.