What are the two types of reproduction What is the difference between the two types?

There are two types of reproduction: asexual and sexual reproduction. Though asexual reproduction is faster and more energy efficient, sexual reproduction better promotes genetic diversity through new combinations of alleles during meiosis and fertilization. However, as Youreka Sciences explains, both of these types of reproduction can be beneficial to different organisms.

Youreka Science was created by Florie Mar, PhD, while she was a cancer researcher at UCSF. While teaching 5th graders about the structure of a cell, Mar realized the importance of incorporating scientific findings into classroom in an easy-to-understand way. From that she started creating whiteboard drawings that explained recent papers in the scientific literature… Continue Reading

Two Types Of Reproduction Asexual Reproduction And Sexual Reproduction

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While asexual reproduction only involves one organism, sexual reproduction requires both a male and a female. Some plants and unicellular organisms reproduce asexually. Most mammals and fish use sexual reproduction. Some organisms like corals and komodo dragons can reproduce either sexually or asexually. But in the long term (over several generations), lack of sexual reproduction compromises their ability to adapt to the environment because they do not benefit from the genetic variation introduced by sexual reproduction.

There are several different types of asexual reproduction. These include budding, where the offspring grows out of the body of the parent, and gemmules, where the parent releases a specialized mass of cells that will become a new individual.

There are two types of sexual reproduction. Syngamy is the permanent fusion of two haploid gametes to create a zygote. In humans, this is called fertilization. Conjugation, on the other hand, is temporary fusion using a cytoplasmic bridge. This is particularly seen in bacteria, which pass DNA across the bridge.

Process

Asexual reproduction is reproduction that occurs without any interaction between two different members of a species. Cells divide using mitosis, in which each chromosome is copied before the nucleus divides, with each new cell receiving identical genetic information.

Sexual reproduction is reproduction that requires a male and a female of the same species to contribute genetic material. Special cells called gametes are produced through meiosis, which halves the number of chromosomes in each resulting cell. These cells are called haploid gametes. Fertilization occurs when two gametes – one from a male and one from a female – combine, producing a diploid zygote with its own individual genetic makeup.

Examples

Asexual reproduction is used by many plants, e.g. spider plants, bacteria, hydra, yeast, and jellyfish. It is also involved in the creation of identical twins, when one zygote splits into two identical copies.

Sexual reproduction is used by most mammals, fish, reptiles, birds and insects.

Advantages and Disadvantages

Asexual reproduction is well suited for organisms that remain in one place and are unable to look for mates, in environments that are stable. It is usually used by simple organisms such as bacteria. However, asexual reproduction does not lead to variation between organisms, meaning that entire groups can be wiped out by disease, or if the stable environment changes.

Sexual reproduction allows for variation, the most fundamental element of evolution. It therefore creates species that can adapt to new environments and that cannot be wiped out by a single disease. However, sexual reproduction requires significant energy on the part of the organism to find a mate. It is not well suited to organisms that are isolated or stuck in place.

References

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Living things use lots of different strategies for producing offspring, but most strategies fall neatly into the categories of either sexual or asexual reproduction. Asexual reproduction generates offspring that are genetically identical to a single parent. In sexual reproduction, two parents contribute genetic information to produce unique offspring.

Sexual and asexual reproduction have advantages and disadvantages—which is why some organisms do both!

Click or tap an organism below. After reading a description, you'll get to vote on whether you think the organism reproduces sexually, asexually, or both. How well do you know your reproductive strategies?

Meiosis is a type of cell division that reduces the number of chromosomes in the parent cell by half and produces four gamete cells. This process is required to produce egg and sperm cells for sexual reproduction. During reproduction, when the sperm and egg unite to form a single cell, the number of chromosomes is restored in the offspring.

Meiosis begins with a parent cell that is diploid, meaning it has two copies of each chromosome. The parent cell undergoes one round of DNA replication followed by two separate cycles of nuclear division. The process results in four daughter cells that are haploid, which means they contain half the number of chromosomes of the diploid parent cell.

Meiosis has both similarities to and differences from mitosis, which is a cell division process in which a parent cell produces two identical daughter cells. Meiosis begins following one round of DNA replication in cells in the male or female sex organs. The process is split into meiosis I and meiosis II, and both meiotic divisions have multiple phases. Meiosis I is a type of cell division unique to germ cells, while meiosis II is similar to mitosis.

Meiosis I, the first meiotic division, begins with prophase I. During prophase I, the complex of DNA and protein known as chromatin condenses to form chromosomes. The pairs of replicated chromosomes are known as sister chromatids, and they remain joined at a central point called the centromere. A large structure called the meiotic spindle also forms from long proteins called microtubules on each side, or pole, of the cell. Between prophase I and metaphase I, the pairs of homologous chromosome form tetrads. Within the tetrad, any pair of chromatid arms can overlap and fuse in a process called crossing-over or recombination. Recombination is a process that breaks, recombines and rejoins sections of DNA to produce new combinations of genes. In metaphase I, the homologous pairs of chromosomes align on either side of the equatorial plate. Then, in anaphase I, the spindle fibers contract and pull the homologous pairs, each with two chromatids, away from each other and toward each pole of the cell. During telophase I, the chromosomes are enclosed in nuclei. The cell now undergoes a process called cytokinesis that divides the cytoplasm of the original cell into two daughter cells. Each daughter cell is haploid and has only one set of chromosomes, or half the total number of chromosomes of the original cell.