Asexual and Sexual Reproduction
2. Objectives
Reproduction and Meiosis
Use this READING GUIDE to help you find and remember the most important parts of the reading material.Lesson Objectives
- Compare and contrast asexual and sexual reproduction.
- Give an overview of sexual reproduction, and outline the phases of meiosis.
- Explain why sexual reproduction leads to variation in offspring.
- Define life cycle, and identify different types of sexual life cycles.
Introduction
Cell division is how organisms grow and repair themselves. It is also how they produce offspring. Many single-celled organisms reproduce by binary fission. The parent cell simply divides to form two daughter cells that are identical to the parent. In many other organisms, two parents are involved, and the offspring are not identical to the parents. In fact, each offspring is unique. Look at the family in Figure below. The children resemble their parents, but they are not identical to them. Instead, each has a unique combination of characteristics inherited from both parents. In this lesson, you will learn how this happens.
Family Portrait: Mother, Daughter, Father, and Son. Children resemble their parents, but they are never identical to them. Do you know why this is the case?