Reproduction

• Asexual reproduction- when an organism makes an exact genetic copy of itself
• Sexual reproduction- when a combination of genetic material from 2 organisms is used to produce a new organism.
• Asexual Reproduction

  Offspring have the exact genetic material (DNA) as the parent- or in other words making Clones
• Binary fission- organism duplicates its genetic material(DNA), and then divides into two parts with each new organism receiving one copy of DNA.  This is common in bacteria. Binary fission is like mitosis.
• Parthenogenesis is found in some animals such as insects, frogs and sharks.
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  Fragmentation- when organisms can form new individuals when they are split into two.
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  Vegetative Reproduction- like fragmentation but plant grows structures that are designed to be broken off to reproduce. Rhizomes(eg ginger), stolons(runners, eg strawberries), plantlets(succulent)
• Sexual reproduction

  When an organism reproduces using sex cells (sex cells are also known as gametes)

  These gametes fuse together producing lots of variation in the offspring. The offspring(babies) are NOT an exact copy of the parent/s.
• Egg- female sex cell/Gamete
• Sperm- male sex cell/Gamete
• Female and Male reproduction systems

  The body system involved in producing the gametes is called the reproduction system however the systems are different for males and females in both structure and function.

   
• Male reproduction system

  The testes(not testicles) is the male sperm

  The sperm travel through the tube called the vas deferens.

  sperm swims in fluid made by the seminal vesicle.

  Semen (sperm + fluid) leaves the body via the penis.
• Female reproduction system

  Ova (eggs) are made and stored in the ovaries

  Once a month, one is released and travels down the fallopian tube(oviduct)

  If it meets a sperm, fertilisation may occur and the newly formed zygote will travel to the uterus where it will develop into a fetus

  If there is no fertilisation, the ova dies and it, along with the lining of the uterus are shed in the period or menstruation.