What is reproduction?
Reproduction is the process by which living things produce new living things of the same kind. It is important because it keeps a species from dying out. There are two main types: sexual and asexual reproduction.
Sexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction needs two parents — a male and a female. A male sex cell joins with a female sex cell during fertilisation to form a new individual. Because the offspring gets features from both parents, it is not exactly the same as either parent. Most animals and flowering plants reproduce this way.
Key idea
Sexual reproduction: two parents → sex cells join at fertilisation → offspring differ from parents.
Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction needs only one parent. No sex cells join. The offspring are produced from the single parent and are exactly the same as it. This is common in simple living things and some plants.
Example
Bacteria split into two. Yeast grows a small bud that breaks off. A potato grows new plants from its buds ("eyes"). All the offspring are identical to the parent.
| Sexual | Asexual | |
| Parents | two | one |
| Sex cells join? | yes | no |
| Offspring | differ from parents | identical to parent |
Remember
- Reproduction keeps a species going.
- Sexual: two parents, offspring vary.
- Asexual: one parent, offspring identical.