Questions: Animal Reproduction Basics

Question 1

What is the main advantage of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction?

• A. It is faster
• B. It requires fewer resources
• C. It produces genetically diverse offspring, increasing the population's ability to survive changing conditions
• D. It always produces more offspring

Answer: (C)

Sexual reproduction combines genes from two parents, creating offspring with unique genetic combinations. This diversity means that if the environment changes or a disease strikes, some individuals may have traits that help them survive — the population does not rely on one set of genes. Asexual reproduction is faster and simpler, but all offspring are genetically identical, making the entire population vulnerable to the same threats.

Question 2

In asexual reproduction, the offspring are genetically different from the parent.

• T. True
• F. False

Answer: False

In asexual reproduction, there is only one parent, and the offspring are genetically identical to that parent (they are clones). All the DNA comes from a single individual, so there is no mixing of genetic material. Genetic diversity only arises through rare mutations. In sexual reproduction, by contrast, each offspring is genetically unique because it receives a mix of DNA from two parents.

Question 3

Explain why a population that reproduces only asexually might be at greater risk from a new disease than a sexually reproducing population.

Model answer: In an asexually reproducing population, all individuals are genetically identical. If a new disease can infect one individual, it can likely infect all of them because they all share the same genetic vulnerabilities. In a sexually reproducing population, individuals are genetically diverse — some may have natural resistance to the disease and survive, allowing the population to continue.

This is one of the main evolutionary arguments for sexual reproduction. Despite being slower and more energy-intensive than asexual reproduction, the genetic diversity it produces provides a population-level 'insurance policy' against threats like disease, parasites, and environmental change.