ANIMAL REPRODUCTION

In sexual reproduction, a male and female gamete is needed to produce the offsprings. In most
instances, there is a male and female organism to produce the gametes but, this isn’t always the case.
Finding a partner for sexual animals can sometimes prove difficult, and so, as an adaptive mechanism
and evolutionary solution, some animals exhibit hermaphroditism. This is when the organism has both
the male and female reproductive systems. This is common among sessile (stationary) animals. In
hermaphroditism, the organism may or may not have a partner for fertilization to occur. Unlike, an asexual
offspring, a sexual offspring is genetically unique from its parent organisms. Notice how there are two
apparent sexes in sexual organisms, while there is no definite sex in the asexual organism.

Types of Asexual Reproduction

1. Binary Fission – occurs in single-celled organisms. It is when a parent cell divides itself into
two equal parts and creates offspring. This type of reproduction is like cloning as shown in
figure 3. To easily remember and understand the reproduction process of binary fission it is
valuable to remember what the terms mean. The word binary means something having two
parts (the new daughter bacteria) while the word fission means the movement of splitting (the
dividing of two equal parts). Ex. Bacteria

2. Fragmentation – occurs when an organism breaks a part of itself into a fragment, and the
fragment develops into a new organism as shown in figure 4. Ex. Starfish & acoel flatworms
3. Budding – happens when a parent organism grows a bud attached to its body. When the bud
is developed it will detach itself from the parent and form a new organism. Ex. Yeast and
Jellyfish

4. Parthenogenesis – occurs when the embryo of an organism can grow and develop without
fertilization. Ex. Some species of ants & Honeybees.

Types Advantages Disadvantages

Sexual - The population is less
Reproduction likely to catch
diseases all at once.
- Has more chances of
survival
- Has genetic variation.
Asexual - Only one parent
Reproduction organism is needed
to reproduce. Faster
- than sexual
reproduction.
- Needs a partner to
reproduce.
- Takes more time to
reproduce.
- Has fewer surviving
chances due to the
lack of genetic
variation.
- Population is more
likely to catch diseases
at the same time.
 Identify Me!
Directions: Identify the
type of A B
reproduction 1. A single organism that functions as both the male described in
the and female in reproduction.
organisms in column
A. Write 2. An organism that requires both a male and a your
answer in female to reproduce. column B.
3. This organism breaks a part of itself to reproduce.

4. A male and a female pig mate to reproduce piglets.

5. This organism’s embryo does not need fertilization

to develop into offspring.
6. This organism divides itself into two equal parts to
reproduce.
7. An organism that grows buds to reproduce.