Video Transcript
Bacteria reproduce asexually. Which of the following is an
advantage of reproducing asexually compared to sexually? (A) Asexual reproduction introduces
more genetic variation into a population than sexual reproduction. (B) Asexual reproduction requires
two parents, whereas sexual reproduction only requires one. (C) Asexual reproduction allows
species to become adapted to a wide range of habitats. Or (D) asexual reproduction
produces more offspring faster than sexual reproduction.
The question asks us to compare
asexual and sexual reproduction, so let’s take a brief look at the advantages of
each of these. Asexual reproduction requires only
one parent and does not involve the fusion of gametes. In contrast, sexual reproduction
requires the fusion of male and female gametes, which typically come from two
different parents. Because organisms that reproduce
asexually don’t have to spend time finding a mate or go through a gestation period,
this method has the advantage of being faster and requiring less energy than sexual
reproduction. For example, some bacteria can
undergo a type of asexual reproduction called binary fission in just 20 minutes. This means a single bacterium could
produce 68 billion bacteria in just 12 hours.
Because of how genes are rearranged
and inherited during gamete fusion, sexual reproduction leads to genetically unique
offspring, while offspring produced during asexual reproduction are genetically
identical. The production of genetically
unique offspring increases genetic variation, giving sexually reproducing
populations the advantage of being better able to adapt to their environment.
Now let’s return to our answer
choices. We’ve learned that sexual, not
asexual, reproduction increases genetic variation and allows for better adaptation,
so we can eliminate answer choices (A) and (C). And we know that asexual
reproduction requires just one parent, so we can rule out choice (B) as well. We also established that asexual
reproduction is faster than sexual reproduction, so the correct answer is (D). An advantage of reproducing
asexually is that asexual reproduction produces more offspring faster than sexual
reproduction.
