Topic Summaries

Sexual and asexual reproduction

IGCSE > Biology > Pearson IGCSE > IGCSE Biology Topic Summaries > Cell division, reproduction, and DNA structure > Sexual and asexual reproduction
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  • Sexual reproduction involves the fusion of male and female gametes known as fertilisation (e.g. sperm and egg cells in animals; pollen and egg cells in flowering plants). There is a mixing of genetic information from each parent, which leads to variety in offspring. Advantages of sexual reproduction include:
    • Produces genetic variation in offspring. If the environment changes, variation gives a survival advantage by natural selection due to adaptations.
    • Natural selection can be sped up by humans through selective breeding (e.g. breeding the best plants to increase food production).
  • Asexual reproduction involves only one parent and no fusion of gametes, so there is no mixing of genetic information (e.g. prokaryotic bacteria reproduce asexually). Mitosis occurs, which produces cells that are genetically identical (clones) to the parent cell. Advantages of asexual reproduction include:
    • Only one parent needed, so the process is more time and energy-efficient than sexual reproduction as individuals do not need to find a mate.
    • Many identical offspring can be produced in favourable conditions.
  • Some organisms can reproduce by both sexual and asexual reproduction (e.g. runners in strawberry plants, bulb division in daffodils, malarial parasites reproducing asexually in the human host and sexually in the mosquito, and fungi reproducing asexually by spores and sexually to give variation).

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