Sexual and Asexual Reproduction

Sexual reproduction

Sexual reproduction involves two parents and the offspring is genetically different to them.
Each parent produces sex cells (also referred to as gametes). In humans, the male sex cell is the sperm and the female sex cell is the egg.
The process of fertilisation is when the sperm and the egg meet and their nuclei fuse together to create a zygote.
This process forms a cell with the full number of chromosomes. In humans, it is 46 chromosomes.
Sexual reproduction provides genetic diversity which allows the species to evolve and adapt to changing environments.

Asexual reproduction

Asexual reproduction involves only one parent and the offspring is genetically identical to it. This offspring is known as a clone.
Asexual reproduction is common in organisms such as bacteria, some plants, and some animals such as starfish.
This type of reproduction is faster and uses less energy because it doesn’t involve the process of finding and nurturing a mate.
However, the lack of genetic diversity can make a population more vulnerable to diseases or environmental changes that may eliminate the whole population.
Methods of asexual reproduction may include binary fission, budding, and fragmentation.

Comparison of Sexual and Asexual Reproduction

Sexual reproduction results in genetically varied offspring which promotes evolutionary adaptation while asexual reproduction results in genetically identical offspring.
Sexual reproduction typically requires two parents and gametes, whereas asexual reproduction involves only one parent and no gametes.
Asexual reproduction can happen more quickly and efficiently, but sexual reproduction, even though it requires more energy and time, leads to higher genetic diversity.