One of the main abilities of all living organisms is reproduction. There are two main options for the formation of new individuals. Specialists distinguish sexual and asexual reproduction .
Self-reproduction methods
Every living organism can create similar individuals. Many plants and lower animals use the asexual method of self-reproduction. To obtain offspring, one parent is enough, which is able to form daughter organisms.
But this information is not enough to understand how sexual reproduction differs from asexual. These forms of reproduction of offspring are fundamentally different. So, sexual reproduction is possible only with the participation of two parental individuals. The sexual method is characterized in that gametes are formed. These are special reproductive cells with a haploid set of chromosomes.
The main differences
The sexual method is considered more progressive compared to asexual. It is used by the vast majority of living beings to procreate. You can understand how sexual reproduction differs from asexual, if you know the following.
In the first form of reproduction, the participation of two parental individuals is necessary. In each of them special sex cells - gametes are produced. In the process of reproduction, they merge and form a zygote. It is from it that a new organism is formed.
In the process of asexual reproduction, gametes are not needed. A new individual is formed from somatic cells. It is an exact copy of the parent organism. This method of reproduction makes it possible to quickly obtain offspring.
Features of asexual reproduction
The self-reproduction of new organisms from
somatic cells has its advantages. Knowing them, it is easy to explain how sexual reproduction differs from asexual. It makes it possible to create a large number of individuals in a short time. In this case, the resulting offspring is no different from the parent. Subsidiaries are replicas.
This method of reproduction is beneficial to those organisms that live in unchanging conditions. Genetic variation in asexual reproduction can occur only as a result of genetic mutations. In the process of such self-reproduction, cells divide, as a rule, by mitosis.
Higher animals cannot reproduce their own kind asexually. The only exception is cloning them artificially.
Types of Asexual Playback
There are several options for creating organisms of their own kind without the participation of specialized germ cells. Finding out how sexual reproduction differs from asexual, do not forget that the last way of reproducing offspring is divided into several types.
Separately, division, spore formation, vegetative propagation, including budding, and fragmentation are distinguished. With each of these methods, a new individual is formed from one or a group of somatic cells. The protozoa reproduce by division: amoeba, green euglena, and paramecium. Also, certain bacteria use this method.
All groups of green plants, fungi, some bacteria and protozoa breed by spore formation. Spores are formed in special structures - sporogony.
Finding out the differences between sexual and asexual reproduction, do not forget that these methods differ significantly. Indeed, during self-reproduction without the participation of gametes, somatic cells begin to divide. For example, vegetative propagation is possible using cuttings, mustaches, roots, rhizomes, tubers, bulbs, corms.
Features of sexual reproduction
To obtain offspring by this method, two individuals of the same species are needed, which produce special germ cells. The appearance of offspring is possible when they merge and form zygotes. It is about this that it is worth recalling, telling the difference between sexual reproduction and asexual.
Gametes contain a haploid (single) set of chromosomes. These cells form during meiosis. It is with their help that genetic information is transmitted from both parents to daughter organisms. The process of merging gametes is called fertilization. As a result, the haploid nuclei are combined and a zygote with a diploid set of chromosomes is formed. It is on this that the intraspecific variability of organisms is based.
Finding out the features of asexual and sexual reproduction, we must not forget that gametes are of two types. They are produced by male and female individuals. But in nature, there are such types of organisms that can simultaneously produce two types of germ cells. They are called hermaphrodites. So small crustaceans, earthworms, snails, some fish can reproduce.
Possible exceptions
To understand how sexual reproduction differs from asexual, you can, if you know that the first method is characterized by the formation of special gametes, and in the second, somatic cells of the parent organism begin to divide.
It is important that for asexual reproduction one individual is enough, and for sexual reproduction two are needed. True, do not forget about exceptions. These include hermaphroditism and parthenogenesis. Although the first indicated form of reproduction often involves gametes from different individuals, processes occur in the body that interfere with self-fertilization.
Parthenogenesis is also one of the varieties of sexual reproduction. With this method, female germ cells are able to develop into a new individual without the participation of male gametes. Both animals and plants can produce offspring in this way.
Depending on the number of chromosomes in female germ cells, diploid and haploid parthenogenesis are distinguished. This breeding mechanism allows you to adjust the number of offspring and their types. For example, the uterus of bees can lay eggs from which females (uterus, working individuals) or males (drones) will emerge. Reproduction - sexual and asexual - in classical versions does not have such capabilities.