Asexual/Sexual Reproduction Vocabulary

Vocabulary Definitions

• Petal: Part of a flower.
• Ovary: The female reproductive part of a flower that contains ovules.
• Pollination: The transfer of pollen from the stamen to the pistil in plants.
• Sepals: Outer parts of the flower that enclose the petals.
• Pollen: The male reproductive cells of a plant.
• Fertilization: The union of sperm and egg.
• Pistil: The female reproductive part of a flower, including the stigma, style, and ovary.
• Pollinators: Agents that transfer pollen (e.g., bees, birds).
• Conjugation: A type of sexual reproduction in bacteria where two cells exchange genetic material.
• Stamen: The male reproductive part of a flower, including the filament and anther.
• Sexual Reproduction: Reproduction involving the fusion of male and female gametes.
• Internal Fertilization: Fertilization occurring inside the female's body.
• Egg: A female sex cell.
• Regeneration: The ability to regrow lost or damaged body parts.
• Self-Pollination: Pollination within the same plant.
• Sperm: A male sex cell.
• Budding: A type of asexual reproduction where a new organism develops from an outgrowth or bud on the parent organism.
• Cross-Pollination: Pollination between two different plants.
• Asexual Reproduction: Reproduction without the fusion of gametes.
• External Fertilization: Fertilization occurring outside the female's body.
• Cuttings: A type of asexual reproduction where a new plant is grown from a piece of the parent plant.
• Artificial Insemination: A method of fertilizing an egg using sperm from a male that is not present.
• Runners: Stems that grow horizontally along the ground, producing new plants at nodes.
• Fission: A type of asexual reproduction where a cell divides into two identical cells.
• Cloning: The production of genetically identical organisms.

Sexual Reproduction

1. Male Sex Cell: Sperm
2. Female Sex Cell: Egg

Asexual Reproduction (6 Types)

Sexual Reproduction (6 Types)

Advantages of Sexual Reproduction (3)

1. Diversity, allowing organisms to change and adapt to their environment quicker due to beneficial mutations.
2. Offspring receives 50% of characteristics from each parent.
3. In species where males help raise the offspring (people, wolves, most songbirds), it is possible to produce more offspring with the help of the male.

Disadvantages of Sexual Reproduction (5)

1. Organisms reproduce more slowly and take longer to colonize an area.
2. If a mate is not found, the female’s egg is wasted.
3. With one male sex cell and one female sex cell you get only one offspring. The sexual population grows twice as slow as the asexually reproducing one.
4. Parents often have to raise the offspring because they are not able to care for themselves.
5. Offspring receives 50% of characteristic from each parent. Could be advantage or disadvantage.

Advantages of Asexual Reproduction (5)

1. Organisms can produce more offspring quicker and can quickly colonize an area.
2. The parent does not waste any time or energy looking for a mate.
3. With two asexual adults you get tow offspring. The asexual population grows twice as fast as the sexually reproducing one.
4. Offspring is identical to the parent. This is good if the parent has good genes.
5. Most of the time, the parent does not need to raise the offspring because they can take care of themselves.

Disadvantages of Asexual Reproduction (3)

1. Because all organisms are identical, it is easy for them to get wiped out because they have the same genes.
2. Offspring is identical to the parent. This is bad if the parent has bad genes.
3. There is only one parent to raise the offspring (if they need to be raised).

Vegetative Propagation

• Vegetative propagation = Asexual reproduction

Adaptations and Behaviors

• Behavioral Adaptation: The things organisms DO to survive.
  • Example: Canadian geese migrate in winter to get food all year.
• Structural Adaptation: The physical features of an organism that helps it survive.
  • Example: The arctic fox has thick fur to keep it warm.
• Innate Behavior: A behavior that is inherited through your genes. (Born with it).
  • Example: Flying for birds and bees, swimming for fish, walking for humans.
• Learned Behavior: A behavior that is learned from experience or from observing other animals.
  • Example: Type of language spoken by humans, learning to ride a bike.

Notes

• Review notes over presentations in class for test questions.