Reproduction: Asexual vs.

Sexual
Cell division is how organisms grow and repair themselves. It is also how many
organisms produce offspring. For many single-celled organisms, reproduction is a
similar process. The parent cell simply divides to form two daughter cells that are
identical to the parent. In many other organisms, two parents are involved, and the
offspring are not identical to the parents. In fact, each offspring is unique. Look at the
family in Figure below. The children resemble their parents, but they are not identical
to them. Instead, each has a unique combination of characteristics inherited from both
parents.

Family Portrait: Mother, Daughter, Father, and Son. Children resemble their parents,
but they are never identical to them. Do you know why this is the case?

Reproduction is the process by which organisms give rise to offspring. It is one of the
defining characteristics of living things. There are two basic types of reproduction:
asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction.

Asexual Reproduction

Asexual reproduction involves a single parent. It results in offspring that are

 Binary fission occurs when a parent cell splits into two identical daughter cells
of the same size.
  Fragmentation occurs when a parent organism breaks into fragments, or
pieces, and each fragment develops into a new organism. Starfish, like the one
in Figure below, reproduce this way. A new starfish can develop from a single
ray, or arm. Starfish, however, are also capable of sexual reproduction.
 Budding occurs when a parent cell forms a bubble-like bud. The bud stays
attached to the parent cell while it grows and develops. When the bud is fully
developed, it breaks away from the parent cell and forms a new organism.
Budding in yeast is shown in Figure below.

Binary Fission in various single-celled organisms (left). Cell division is a relatively simple
process in many single-celled organisms. Eventually the parent cell will pinch apart to
form two identical daughter cells. In multiple fission (right), a multinucleated cell can
divide to form more than one daughter cell. Multiple fission is more often observed
among protists.
Starfish reproduce by fragmentation and yeasts reproduce by budding. Both are types
of asexual reproduction.

Asexual reproduction can be very rapid. This is an advantage for many organisms. It
allows them to crowd out other organisms that reproduce more slowly. Bacteria, for
example, may divide several times per hour. Under ideal conditions, 100 bacteria can
divide to produce millions of bacterial cells in just a few hours! However, most bacteria
do not live under ideal conditions. If they did, the entire surface of the planet would
soon be covered with them. Instead, their reproduction is kept in check by limited
resources, predators, and their own wastes. This is true of most other organisms as
well.

Sexual Reproduction

Sexual reproduction involves two parents. As you can see from Figure below, in
sexual reproduction, parents produce reproductive cells—called gametes—that unite to
form an offspring. Gametes are haploid cells. This means they contain only half the
number ofchromosomes found in other cells of the organism. Gametes are produced by
a type of cell division called meiosis, which is described in detail in a subsequent
concept. The process in which two gametes unite is called fertilization. The fertilized
cell that results is referred to as a zygote. A zygote is diploid cell, which means that it
has twice the number of chromosomesas a gamete.
Cycle of Sexual Reproduction. Sexual reproduction involves the production of haploid
gametes by meiosis. This is followed by fertilization and the formation of a diploid
zygote. The number of chromosomes in a gamete is represented by the letter n. Why
does the zygote have 2n, or twice as many, chromosomes?

Summary
 Asexual reproduction involves one parent and produces offspring that are
genetically identical to each other and to the parent.
 Sexual reproduction involves two parents and produces offspring that are
genetically unique.
 During sexual reproduction, two haploid gametes join in the process of
fertilization to produce a diploid zygote.
 Meiosis is the type of cell division that produces gametes.