Reproduction of Unicellular and
Multicellular Organisms
Learning goal: Students will be able to
explain why there is more variety of
offspring with sexual reproduction
rather than asexual reproduction.
Asexual reproduction involves one parent
Asexual reproduction: one parent produces one
or more identical, independent offsprings
• Binary fission ex. bacteria
• Budding ex. hydra, potato, Kalanchoe,
bamboo
• Regeneration ex. starfish, roses, azaelas
Asexual Reproduction and Health
Bacteria reproduce asexually by binary fission.
2 = 4 = 8 =16 = 32 = 64 = 128 = 256 = 512 = 1024
Generation time: the time it takes for one
generation to produce offspring
*Why have some organisms evolved to reproduce
asexually? so they can produce large populations
quickly; so that only one individual is needed to
continue a species
Sexual reproduction involves two parent organisms
Multicellular organisms involve sexual
reproduction and asexual reproduction.
• Plants from cuttings?_________ reproduction.
• Plants from seeds? __________ reproduction.
• Animals growing from eggs? ____________
reproduction.
Cell Division
Both sexual and asexual reproduction!
Mitosis produces cells identical to the parent
cells.
The diversity of life on Earth is possible because
of the combining of genetic materials from two
parents in sexual reproduction.
3 functions of cell division are: growth, repair,
and development.
Questions to ponder?
1) What kind of asexual reproduction do most
unicellular organisms use?
2) How do some multi-celled organisms
reproduce asexually?
3) How is budding different in unicellular and
multicellular organisms?
4) How can mitosis accomplish reproduction?
5) What are the two main differences between
sexual and asexual reproduction?
More Questions to Ponder?
6)
7)
8)
9)
Describe the process of regeneration in starfish.
How do plants use regeneration?
Is the generation time of bacteria long or short?
Do you think prokaryotes undergo regeneration?
Why or why not?
10)What is the math term used to describe the type
of growth that takes place with cell division?