Definition

1. 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.

Noun

1. reproduction without the fusion of gametes