Sexual and asexual reproduction

Unwashed potatoes

There are two types of reproduction - sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction.

Two parents are needed in sexual reproduction, and the offspring produced are geneticallydifferent to the parents.

Only one parent is needed in asexual reproduction, and the offspring produced are genetically identical, eg reproduction in bacteria, production of spores by fungi, and the formation of tubers in potatoes and bulbs in daffodils.

Asexual reproduction

The advantages of asexual reproduction include:

• population can increase rapidly
• can exploit a suitable habitat quickly

The disadvantages include:

• does not lead to variation in a population
• the species may only be suited to one habitat
• disease may affect all the individuals in a population

Ovule - becomes the seed after fertilisation

Stigma - Receives p…