When it comes to reproduction, there are different ways in which organisms do so. Some of the oldest organisms on the planet are organisms that multiplied via mitosis. While it’s a very complicated process that would result in quite a convoluted explanation, in a basic sentence, mitosis is simple the means in which unicellular organisms reproduce. These organisms are so simplified that they literally divide themselves in half to reproduce. However, there are different organisms that divide in much more complicated ways, and one of these is via meiosis. While it’s a very complex process in of itself, meiosis is better (and bad) in a few different ways.
The Pros of Meiosis
1. There are many pros to sexual reproduction. For one, one of the primary advantages are the various ways in which organisms can vary their offspring’s DNA. When you look at asexual reproduction (mitosis), it lacks genetic differentiation in the offspring.
2. When a cell divides itself in half, that does nothing in terms of making the children unique or diverse. In essence, it’s basically a method of self-induced cloning.
3. Sexual reproduction is better because when you have children that have different DNA (so different genotypes and phenotypes) then this results in children that are more likely to survive and prosper.
4. The only way organisms can survive is if they have diversified offspring, otherwise, they will not survive and will not adapt, resulting in death and extinction. So sexual reproduction is extremely vital to preserving these organisms.
5. Aside from that, but sexual reproduction is effective at generating complex organisms. With unicellular organisms, they can get away with dividing into themselves because they are so simple, however, when you look at sexual reproduction, they are capable of creating more complex organisms as a result, so without sexual reproduction, you wouldn’t be able to have more advanced creatures
The Cons of Meiosis
1. While sexual reproduction is really good, it isn’t perfect by any means. For one, it’s very hard to achieve.
2. With asexual reproduction, it’s as simple as a cell dividing its nucleus. With more advanced organisms, it requires a lot of work to simply create one or two organisms at most.
3. It also lacks the speed in which an organisms can divide. With asexual reproduction, organisms multiply rather quickly, where as with sexual reproduction, it can sometimes take up to a year.
Regardless of the pros and cons, meiosis is still a very effective means of reproduction.
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.