Sexual & Asexual Reproduction
Reproduction is the process through which an organism passes its genetic information to its
offspring. The ability to reproduce is necessary for the survival of a species. The two main types
of reproduction are asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction.
Asexual Reproduction
In asexual reproduction, a single parent passes copies of its genes to each of its offspring, so
all of the offspring are genetically identical to the parent.
In general, this form of reproduction is used by simple organisms, such as bacteria, because
only one parent is required for asexual reproduction. Also, asexual reproduction is generally
quicker and simpler than sexual reproduction.
There are several different types of asexual reproduction:

Budding
Budding occurs when an offspring grows out of the body of the parent
organism. Hydra reproduce by budding.

Fragmentation
Fragmentation occurs
when parts of an
organism break
off. The organism fragments regrow
their missing parts through
regeneration and develop into new
individuals. Sea stars (starfish)
reproduce through fragmentation and regeneration.
 Binary Fission
Binary fission occurs when a
prokaryotic organism undergoes
cellular division and divides
into two new
organisms. Amoeba reproduce
by binary fission.

Mitosis
Mitosis is a special type of asexual reproduction that occurs in eukaryotes. During mitosis,
genetic material is replicated within the nucleus of a cell. Then, the nucleus divides into two
new nuclei, and in most cases, the entire cell divides during cytokinesis into two new daughter
cells. The daughter cells are genetically identical to each other and to the parent cell.
Sexual Reproduction
In sexual reproduction, two parents each contribute genetic material to their
offspring. Because both parents contribute genetic material, the offspring have traits of both
parents, but they are not exactly like either parent. For sexual reproduction to occur, each
parent must form a sex cell, also known as a gamete. Gametes are formed by meiosis.
Meiosis is a two-step process of cell division that produces four cells that each contain half of
the number of chromosomes present in the parent cell. A female gamete is called an egg, and a
male gamete is called a sperm. When an egg's nucleus and a sperm's nucleus fuse, a fertilized
egg, known as a zygote, forms. The zygote has the correct number of chromosomes for the
species. This zygote then develops into a mature organism.