Question

Explain asexual reproduction? Differentiate between sexual and asexual reproduction?

Answer 1

Hint: Reproduction is defined as a biological process by which new individual organisms are produced from the parents. There are two types of reproduction: Asexual and sexual. Asexual reproduction is the process in which an organism can reproduce without the involvement of another organism.

Complete Answer:
It is the process of formation of new individuals from specialized or unspecialized parts of a single parent without fertilization or fusion of gametes. Asexual reproduction is uniparental, because the formation of new individuals is from one parent. As there is no fusion of gametes, it is also known as apomixis.
Cell divisions are mitotic except for variations produced during DNA replication. Individuals formed by asexual reproduction are genetically similar. They are called ramets and represent the clone of the parent.

Sl.No	Asexual reproduction	Sexual reproduction
1.	Asexual reproduction is uniparental.It involves a single parent.	Sexual reproduction is biparental. It involves two parents and different sexes.
2.	Gametes are not formed.	Gametes are always formed.
3.	Cell division is mitotic.	Meiosis occurs once. Other cell divisions are mitotic.
4.	Fertilization is not present here.	Fertilization or fusion of gametes occur here.
5.	Rapid method of multiplication.	Slower method of multiplication.
6.	The new individuals are genetically similar.	The new individuals formed here are genetically different from either of the two parents.
7.	Common in lower organisms.	It occurs in all higher organisms and also in a number of lower organisms.

Note: Sexual reproduction involves the cooperation of two sexual individuals- male and female and an improvement over asexual reproduction as it increases variations as well as improves heredity whereas asexual reproduction requires only one parent.