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Reproduction: Asexual vs.

Sexual
Cell division is how organisms grow and repair themselves. It is also how many
organisms produce offspring. For many single-celled organisms, reproduction is a similar
process. The parent cell simply divides to form two daughter cells that are identical to the
parent. In many other organisms, two parents are involved, and the offspring are not
identical to the parents. In fact, each offspring is unique. Look at the family
in Figure below. The children resemble their parents, but they are not identical to them.
Instead, each has a unique combination of characteristics inherited from both parents.
Reproduction is the process by which organisms give rise to offspring. It is one of the
defining characteristics of living things. There are two basic types of reproduction: asexual
reproduction and sexual reproduction.
Asexual reproduction involves a single parent. It results in offspring that are genetically
identical to each other and to the parent. All prokaryotes and some eukaryotes reproduce
this way. There are several different methods of asexual reproduction. They include
binary fission, fragmentation, and budding.
 Binary fission occurs when a parent cell splits into two identical daughter cells of the
same size.
 Fragmentation occurs when a parent organism breaks into fragments, or pieces, and
each fragment develops into a new organism. Starfish, like the one in Figure below,
reproduce this way. A new starfish can develop from a single ray, or arm. Starfish,
however, are also capable of sexual reproduction.
 Budding occurs when a parent cell forms a bubble-like bud. The bud stays attached to
the parent cell while it grows and develops. When the bud is fully developed, it breaks
away from the parent cell and forms a new organism. Budding in yeast is shown
in Figure below.
Fragmentation

budding
Asexual reproduction can be very rapid. This is an advantage for many organisms. It
allows them to crowd out other organisms that reproduce more slowly. Bacteria, for
example, may divide several times per hour. Under ideal conditions, 100 bacteria can
divide to produce millions of bacterial cells in just a few hours! However, most bacteria do
not live under ideal conditions. If they did, the entire surface of the planet would soon be
covered with them. Instead, their reproduction is kept in check by limited resources,
predators, and their own wastes. This is true of most other organisms as well.
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction involves two parents. As you can see from Figure below, in sexual
reproduction, parents produce reproductive cells—called gametes—that unite to form an
offspring. Gametes are haploid cells. This means they contain only half the number
of chromosomes found in other cells of the organism. Gametes are produced by a type
of cell division called meiosis, which is described in detail in a subsequent concept. The
process in which two gametes unite is called fertilization. The fertilized cell that results
is referred to as a zygote. A zygote is diploid cell, which means that it has twice the
number of chromosomes as a gamete.

Summary
 Asexual reproduction involves one parent and produces offspring that are genetically
identical to each other and to the parent.
 Sexual reproduction involves two parents and produces offspring that are genetically
unique.
 During sexual reproduction, two haploid gametes join in the process of fertilization to
produce a diploid zygote.
 Meiosis is the type of cell division that produces gametes.
SCIENCE

Day 1 – 2 Activity: Lecture

Day 3- Activity: Sexual vs. Asexual Reproduction Worksheet

Day 4 –5 Activity FERTILIZATION AND DEVELOPMENT IN HUMANS LECTURE AND ACTIVITY

MAPEH (REFLECTIVE JOURNAL-READ AND WRITE A 150 WORD REFLECTION ON THESE LAWS) 1 WHOLE
SHEET OF PAPER

DAY 1 - THE CONSUMER ACT OF THE PHILIPPINES & National Environmental Awareness and
Education Act of 2008

DAY 2 - Philippine AIDS Prevention and Control Act of 1998 (RA 8504) & )Traditional and Alternative
Medicine Act of 1997 (RA 8423)

DAY 3 - National Blood Services Act of 1994 (RA 7719) & Seat Belts Use Act of 1999 (RA 8750)

DAY 4 - Cybercrime Prevention Act of 2012 (RA 10175)

DAY 5 - Anti-Pornography Act (RA 9775)

PHYSICAL SCIENCE

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