Biology

• Spider plants reproduce by making new, identical baby spider plantlets
• Asexual reproduction


  Requires only one organism and results in offspring that are genetically identical
• Asexual reproduction in simple organisms


  • Bacteria splitting into two (binary fission)
  • Protists reproducing asexually
• Budding


  A type of asexual reproduction where a new organism buds off from the parent
• Organisms that can reproduce by budding


  • Hydra
• Not all plants can reproduce asexually
• Sexual reproduction


  Involves the uniting of gametes (reproductive cells) to make a new organism
• Gametes


  Reproductive cells that have half the number of chromosomes as somatic cells
• When gametes combine, they produce a fertilized egg (zygote) with the full number of chromosomes
• Offspring from sexual reproduction have the potential to be genetically diverse
• Gametes are different from each other due to independent assortment and crossing over during meiosis
• Benefit of sexual reproduction


  Different genes can mean different expressed traits, which can be advantageous in environmental changes
• Variety from sexual reproduction can provide advantages in changing environments