Flashcards · Biology · Reproduction, Meiosis and Variation
Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
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How many parents are needed for asexual reproduction?
One.
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Are the offspring of asexual reproduction identical to the parent?
Yes, they are genetically identical clones.
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Which type of cell division is used in asexual reproduction?
Mitosis.
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Give two advantages of asexual reproduction.
No need to find a mate, and a rapid reproductive cycle.
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Give one disadvantage of asexual reproduction.
No variation in the population, so a disease could affect them all.
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How many parents are needed for sexual reproduction?
Two.
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What is the main advantage of sexual reproduction?
It produces variation in the population.
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Give one disadvantage of sexual reproduction.
A mate has to be found, and it is slower.
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Why is variation an advantage if the environment changes?
Some individuals may have features that help them survive.
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Give an example of an organism that reproduces asexually.
Bacteria, strawberry plants (runners), or potatoes (tubers).
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Why was the Irish potato crop affected so badly by blight?
The plants were clones with no variation, so none was resistant.
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Name an organism that uses both types of reproduction.
Strawberry plants, fungi, aphids or malaria parasites.
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Why is asexual reproduction quicker?
There is no need to find a mate or make gametes.
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What is the main problem with a population of clones?
All of them are equally likely to be harmed by the same change or disease.
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Why does sexual reproduction help a species to evolve?
The variation gives natural selection something to act on.
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What mistake do students make about asexual reproduction?
Saying that there are no changes at all. Mutations can still happen, but rarely.