Asexual reproduction pertains to the mode of reproduction, where the offspring comes from only a single organism while it inherits its parent’s genes. This method does not involve reduction or “ploidy”. The offspring would exactly be a copy of the genetic parent, except when it is the case of “automixis”. This method has been the primary form of reproduction for most single-celled organisms, such as protists, eubacteria and archaebacteria. Aside from these organisms, most fungi and plants are also asexual. Also, all prokaryotes reproduce asexually without formation of gametes and fusion.
On the other hand, a lateral gene transfer mechanism, such as transduction, transformation and conjugation, leads to sexual reproduction. However, there was found insufficiency for sexual reproduction, most especially among animals, which made scientists consider doing research on asexual reproduction.
Now, it is important to know that there are several advantages and disadvantages of this reproduction process, and we should know about these things to be able to figure out what it really is. You can then use such knowledge when you need it most in the future.
List of Advantages of Asexual Reproduction
1. It is a simple procedure.
Asexual reproduction has not been complex, where it just requires less energy compared with sexual reproduction.
2. It allows for different extensive forms.
For organisms that asexually reproduce, they have the ability to take different forms, which allow them to successfully make offspring in various environments.
3. Better chance of survival will be at hand.
With a large number of organisms, species would still survive even when conditions change and the number of predators varies.
4. Finding a mate is easy.
With asexual reproduction, finding a mate among organisms is not difficult at all. But with sexual reproduction, this is quite difficult or even impossible, especially when colonizing new areas.
5. It is highly useful in case of emergency.
In dire situations, asexual organisms, like plants, can keep themselves alive and able to produce others without the help of mates or other reproductive sources. Regarding plants, when there is no pollinator available, they can still clone themselves.
6. It does not need mobility.
This way of reproducing is only done among organisms that often stay in one place. They do not need to move to other places just to produce offspring. Most animals and plants that rarely move to other places are extremely able to create their offspring.
7. Just little time and resources are used.
Much time and energy is not needed to produce offspring asexually. As you can see, certain asexual animals and plants could reproduce without considering the amount of time or energy to be consumed.
8. It is more environmentally friendly.
When it comes to asexual reproduction, there are no concerns with regards to the environment. But with sexual reproduction, organisms may not survive when they deal with harsh environments. Because of the susceptible or delicate organs or stages of sexual reproduction make it impossible for organisms to live.
9. Reproduction will be boosted.
When certain asexual organisms have been established in suitable habitats, they can reproduces rapidly to make more new individuals.
10. It requires just a little investment.
Those that reproduce asexually can produce more than one offspring at a time and do not have to carry their offspring for long periods of time. This quick and inexpensive process means a little investment for time and money.
List of Disadvantages of Asexual Reproduction
1. It can hinder diversity.
Take note that asexual reproduction does not have genetic diversity. On the other hand, this is a main advantage with sexual reproduction, since mixing a gene pool produces diversity.
2. It makes adaption more difficult.
Asexual organisms have a lesser chance of adapting to environmental changes. While it is good to live in a permanent habitat, there are definitely some risks to be encountered by both animals and plants, such as predators and diseases, which are a great threat to their lives.
3. Offspring are genetic clones.
Asexual reproduction can cause negative mutations, which make asexually produced organisms are susceptible to diseases. This also means a large number of offspring would be destroyed.
4. It risks issues on inheritance.
Often, it requires a single asexual parent, from which the chromosomes and genes are copied. This means the genetic mutations or defects which could be bred out in asexual reproduction would be present in the offspring with no exception.
5. It might result to less variation.
With asexual reproduction, there is less variation produced within the offspring. With that said, they will become less adapted to certain environmental changes, and the entire community of organisms that are genetically identical might not survive the changes.
6. There might be the risk of food and space competition.
ome asexual reproduction methods are producing offspring that are just close together, so there is a big possibility that they would compete for food and space.
7. There might be problems with crowding.
Somehow related to the previous con, asexually reproducing organisms would usually lead to the struggle for existence and overcrowding within the community.
8. It can lead to problems with population control.
This process of reproduction really has no control over the rapid increase of the population of the subject organisms. Without competition in the breeding process, each organism is comprehensively proficient in reproducing on their own, which means its population will be doubled in each reproduction cycle. However, researchers state that the process will stop when the population becomes excessive.
9. It would result to poor conditions for the subjects.
Asexual reproduction can lead to unfavorable conditions for organisms, such as extreme temperatures, that can wipe out their entire community.
10. It makes species prone to extinction.
Asexually reproduced organisms have the same traits and weaknesses. So, they will be prone to extinction considering that parasites or predators, which have evolved to kill just one of them, can take them all out.
Conclusion
Asexual reproduction is fairly distinct from sexual reproduction in a way that it does not need two parents and special cells to reproduce, which means that it does not require special mechanisms that combine sex cells and allow fertilization. It simply uses mitosis, which results to copying the parent organism. Most plants are thought to undergo this type of reproduction, but you need to know that there are also animals that reproduce asexually. By knowing asexual reproduction’s advantages and disadvantages, it will be easier to take good care of asexual organisms around us.
Brandon Miller has a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin. He is a seasoned writer who has written over one hundred articles, which have been read by over 500,000 people. If you have any comments or concerns about this blog post, then please contact the Green Garage team here.