Question

Write any 3 advantage of asexual reproduction over sexual reproduction.

Answer 1

Hint: The process of asexual reproduction is the basic form of reproduction occurring in single-celled organisms like archaea and bacteria. There are many multicellular animals, fungi and plants known to reproduce asexually.

Complete answer:
> Asexual reproduction refers to the form of reproduction in which a new individual is produced only by a single organism. This does not require the fusion of gametes, so the resulting offspring are genetically identical to the parent. Less diverse in nature are the species created by asexual reproduction. This form of reproduction is primarily found in species which are unicellular.
> Sexual reproduction is the process of reproduction in which the merger of male and female gametes produces individuals. On the other hand, asexual reproduction in the form of reproduction in which there is no fusion of gametes and the offspring is genetically identical to the parent.

Asexual reproduction's advantages over sexual reproduction are:
1) Rapid reproductive rate: If the climate is favourable, large numbers of offspring are formed; thus, they reproduce at a rapid rate. In less time, more individuals are created from a single cell.
2) Better chances of survival: They have better chances of survival as large numbers of offspring are produced.
3) The produced offspring are precisely identical to the parents, such that the characteristics of the parent cell are preserved.

Note: The sexual reproductive mode, however is stronger than the asexual mode. Diversity in the genetic composition of the offspring is created by sexual reproduction. This is because of the mixture of genes from two separate individuals. However since only one parent is involved, this is not the case for asexual reproduction.