Asexual Animal Reproduction

• A single parent produces offspring by cell division or without the fusion of 2 gametes
• Asexual reproduction is commonly found among lower forms of organisms (protists, cnidarians) and some complex animals
• Resulting offspring of asexual reproduction are identical to parents in terms of characteristics, unless if mutation occurred
• ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE: Can produce many offspring in short period of time

  Advantage
• ADVANTAGE or DISADVANTAGE: Lack of variation among individuals, easily wiped out

  Disadvantage
• An individual divides into two halves after which each grows to the original form (binary) or at right angles to the long axis (transverse)


  fission
• A parent organism produces offspring by growing a tiny replica of its body.

  Budding
• After the bud has grown enough, it falls off and becomes an independent and exact copy of the parent
• Hydra, common among sponges, cnidarians, bryozoans, and tunicates are examples of animals that undergo budding.
• Separated pieces of the parent organism can develop into an individual

  Fragmentation
• Sea star and flatworms are example of animals that undergo fragmentation.
• Gives rise to complete offspring from unfertilized eggs

  Parthenogenesis
• Certain types of flatworms, roundworms, annelids, crustaceans, insects, fishes, and some reptiles undergo parthenogenesis.
• The ability of an organism to regrow lost body parts

  Regeneration
• When a body part is lost or damaged, specialized cells can divide and differentiate to replace the missing part

  Regeneration
• Some animals, like starfish and salamanders, can regenerate entire limbs or even entire bodies: they undergo regeneration.
• Asexual reproduction in animals has its advantages, such as rapid population growth and the ability to colonize new habitats without the need for a mate.
• Asexual reproduction in animals limits genetic diversity since offspring are genetically identical to the parent