Asexual reproduction

• Asexual reproduction:

  • Only one parent is needed in asexual reproduction
  • There is no fusion of gametes, so genetic material does not mix
  • Offspring produced through asexual reproduction are genetically identical clones to the parent
• Examples of organisms that use asexual reproduction include:

  • Bacteria: single-celled microorganisms, some of which are pathogenic in humans, animals, and plants
  • Fungi: a large group of eukaryotic organisms that contain single-celled yeasts, moulds, and mushrooms
  • Some plants, such as strawberries, use runners
  • Production of spores by fungi
  • Formation of tubers in potatoes and bulbs in daffodils
• Mitosis:

  • A type of cell division which produces daughter cells identical to the parent
  • Used in asexual reproduction to create identical copies (clones) of the parent cell
  • Part of the cell cycle involving cell growth, increase of cell structures, genetic material copying, chromosome separation, and cell division
  • Also used for growth, repair to damaged tissue, and replacement of worn-out cells