6.1.3: Advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual reproduction (biology only)
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Sexual reproduction produces variation in the offspring.
If the environment changes, variation gives a survival advantage by natural selection.
Humans can speed up natural selection through selective breeding to increase food production.
Asexual reproduction needs only one parent, is faster, and uses less time and energy because organisms do not need to find a mate.
Asexual reproduction can produce many identical offspring when conditions are favourable.
Some organisms reproduce by both methods depending on the circumstances.
Malarial parasites reproduce asexually in the human host, but sexually in the mosquito.
Many fungi reproduce asexually by spores but also reproduce sexually to give variation.
Many plants produce seeds sexually, but also reproduce asexually by runners such as strawberry plants, or bulb division such as daffodils.
Common exam mistakes
Do not say asexual reproduction always has no variation at all; clones are genetically identical unless mutation occurs.
Use the environment in the question: sexual reproduction is useful in changing conditions because variation may help some offspring survive.
For asexual reproduction, explain the advantage of one parent and rapid reproduction in favourable conditions.
In dual-life-cycle examples such as fungi or malarial parasites, match the reproductive method to the stage described in the question.