2.Costs and Benefits of sexual and asexual reproduction Flashcards
What is sexual reproduction?
The production of new living organisms by combining genetic information from two individuals of different types (sexes)
What are the costs of sexual reproduction?
- Males are unable to produce offspring
- Only half of each parent’s genome is passed onto the offspring
- Disrupts successful parental genomes
What are the benefits of sexual reproduction?
An increase in genetic variation in the population. Benefits outweigh costs.
What does genetic variation provide?
the raw materials required for adaptation, giving sexually reproducing organisms a better chance of survival under changing selection pressures.
What is asexual reproduction?
Just one parent can produce daughter cells and establish a colony of virtually unlimited size over time.
When is asexual reproduction most advantageous in?
- Very narrow stable niches
- When re-colonising disturbed habitats
What is a benefit of asexual reproduction?
A successful genome is passed on
What is parthenogenesis?
Parthenogenesis is reproduction from a females gamete without fertilisation
When is parthenogenesis more common?
- Cooler climates that are disadvantageous to parasites
- Regions of low parasite density/diversity
Why is parthenogenesis more common in these areas?
Because selection pressure (of parasites) has decreased the issue of less genetic variation is reduced.
What is a benefit of asexual reproduction as a reproductive strategy?
A successful genome is passed on.
What is the cost of asexual reproduction as a reproductive strategy?
Asexually reproducing populations are not able to adapt easily to changes in their environment but mutations can occur that provide some degree of variation and enable some natural selection and evolution to occur.
