Asexual and Sexual Reproduction and Internal and External Fertilisation

• Asexual Reproduction: Involves a single organism producing offspring that are genetically identical to itself, typically through processes like budding, fission, or vegetative propagation.

• Sexual Reproduction: Involves the combination of genetic material from two parents, resulting in genetically diverse offspring through processes such as fertilization.

Asexual and Sexual Reproduction:

Activity 1:

1. Define asexual reproduction. Your answer should include the terms genetically identical, one parent, offspring, organism.

2. Name an example of an organism that uses each type of asexual reproduction below:

   Type of Asexual	Example of an Organism
   Runners
   Binary Fission
   Budding

3. Outline some advantages of asexual reproduction.

4. Describe the impact asexual reproduction has on the genetic diversity of a population.

4. Explain why gametes are important.

5. Define sexual reproduction. Your answer should include the terms genetically unique, two parents, offspring, organism, sex cells (gametes).

6. Describe the impact sexual reproduction has on the genetic diversity of a population. 

Activity 2:

From what you have learnt above, complete these tables below

1. Describe the circumstances in which asexual reproduction is advantageous to a population.

2. Describe the circumstances in which asexual reproduction can place a population at a disadvantage. 

Internal and External Fertilisation: 

Activity 1:

Choose the correct word from the table below to complete the passage.

_________ reproduction is the process by which a new genetically _______ organism is formed from the fusion (______) of haploid male and female gametes from the parents of the same species. A _______ is a specialised sex cell which is created during a process called ________; they are called haploid cells because each sex cell contains half of the organism’s _______ information. In animals we call the male gamete ________ and the female gamete the ________.

Fertilisation is the process by which two _______ gametes fuse together creating a ________ zygote. The zygote has two copies of each chromosome, one set which it got from the male gamete and one set from the female gamete. Once fertilisation occurs the zygote grows and divides via ________.

Fertilisation can occur _________ (inside the female) or externally (outside the female).

Activity 2:

Name two animals that reproduce using internal fertilisation.

Name two animals that reproduce using external fertilisation.

Compare the features of internal and external fertilisation.

Complete the table below outlining the advantages and challenges for each type of fertilisation.

Using a named animal example, explain the advantages and disadvantages of internal fertilisation.