asexual reproduction
Học thuậtThân thiện
A single-celled organism divides into two identical cells through asexual reproduction.
Definition
- Noun:
- A biological process of producing new individual organisms from a single parent, without the involvement of gamete fusion or genetic recombination. This mode of reproduction results in offspring that are genetically identical (clones) to the parent organism.
Usage
- General Statement: "Asexual reproduction" is a fundamental biological concept used to describe a reproductive strategy common in many plants, fungi, bacteria, and some animals.
- Scientific Context: The term is used in biology, botany, microbiology, and related fields to discuss reproductive mechanisms, population genetics, and evolutionary strategies.
Examples
- Noun:
- Many plants, like strawberries, use asexual reproduction through runners to colonize an area.
- Bacteria typically undergo asexual reproduction by binary fission.
- The study compared the evolutionary advantages of sexual and asexual reproduction.
Advanced Usage
- "obligate asexual reproduction": a species or population that exclusively reproduces asexually, with no sexual phase in its life cycle.
- Some species of whiptail lizards are known for obligate asexual reproduction.
- "facultative asexual reproduction": a species capable of both asexual and sexual reproduction, often depending on environmental conditions.
- Many aphids employ facultative asexual reproduction, producing clones rapidly during favorable seasons.
Variants and Related Words
- Clone (n): An organism produced asexually that is genetically identical to its parent.
- The new plant was a clone of the original.
- Vegetative reproduction (n): A form of asexual reproduction in plants involving non-reproductive plant parts like stems, roots, or leaves.
- Potatoes reproduce through vegetative reproduction using tubers.
- Parthenogenesis (n): A specific type of asexual reproduction where an embryo develops from an unfertilized egg cell.
- Parthenogenesis is observed in some insects, fish, and reptiles.
Synonyms
- Agamogenesis: (Technical) Reproduction without the union of gametes.
- Clonal propagation: Reproduction resulting in genetically identical offspring.
Related Phrases
- "To undergo asexual reproduction": The process an organism engages in to reproduce asexually.
- The yeast cell will undergo asexual reproduction by budding.
- "Mode of asexual reproduction": Refers to the specific method, such as budding, fission, or fragmentation.
- Fragmentation is a common mode of asexual reproduction in many worms and starfish.
Related Concepts
- Genetic uniformity: A consequence of asexual reproduction where a population lacks genetic diversity.
- A population founded by asexual reproduction faces risks due to genetic uniformity.
- Budding: An asexual reproduction process where a new organism grows from an outgrowth or bud on the parent.
- Binary fission: A type of asexual reproduction where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells.
A single-celled organism divides into two identical cells through asexual reproduction.
Noun
- reproduction without the fusion of gametes