BRAINCAKEAsexual Reproduction
Asexual reproduction is the production of new individuals from a single parent, without the fusion of gametes. In eukaryotes the new cells are produced by mitosis (bacteria use binary fission), so the offspring are genetically identical to the parent and to each other. A group of genetically identical organisms is called a clone.
The only source of genetic variation between asexually produced offspring is mutation. There is no meiosis, so no crossing over or independent assortment, and no random fertilisation.
Asexual reproduction is common in bacteria, protoctists, fungi and plants, and occurs in some animals such as Hydra and starfish. The main forms, each covered in the following lessons, are sporulation, regeneration (fragmentation), budding and vegetative propagation.
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Key terms in this lesson
- meiosis
- A type of nuclear division that produces four haploid daughter cells, each genetically different, from one diploid parent cell; it makes gametes.
- crossing over
- The exchange of sections of DNA between non-sister chromatids of homologous chromosomes during meiosis, producing new combinations of alleles.
- independent assortment
- The random separation of homologous chromosome pairs into gametes during meiosis, producing different combinations of maternal and paternal chromosomes.
More in The Cell Cycle
All 18 lessons in The Cell Cycle · All Edexcel AS-level Biology topics