sexual & asexual reproduction

• sexual reproduction

  • reproduction involving the fusion of gametes
• gamete

  • a sex cell that contains half the genetic information of a body cell
  • e.g. sperm and egg in animals, pollen and ovaries in plants.
• meiosis

  • the type of cell division that produces gametes.
  • four daughter cells are produced from one original cell.
  • each cell is genetically different
  • each daughter cell has half the genetic information of a body cell
• fertilisation

  • the fusion of gametes
  • restores the full number of chromosomes
• asexual reproduction

  • reproduction involving only one parent and no gametes.
  • no mixing of genetic information so genetically identical clones are produced
  • only mitosis is involved
• mitosis

  • cell division that produces two identical daughter cells with the full amount of chromosomes