Sexual Reproduction


 
 
Concept Explanation
 

Sexual Reproduction

Sexual reproduction involves the two sexes, namely, male and female. The male sexual unit is known as male gamete or sperm, while the female sexual unit is known as female gamete or egg. The formation of gametes and their fusion constitute sexual reproduction. The male gamete is smaller and more active than the female gamete. The female gamete is larger, filled with reserve food and remains passive. The cell formed after the fusion of the male and female gametes is called zygote. The zygote divides repeatedly to form a new individual. Although sexual reproduction also occurs in unicellular organisms like algae and Paramoecium, it is most common in multicellular organisms.

                     

Genetic basis and advantage of variations: You know that variations help in the survival of a species over time. During asexual reproduction cells divide and DNA replication takes place. At the time of replication, some variation may occur but this variation does not usually cause any drastic change. So, in asexual reproduction offspring are more or less similar to the parent and variation is slow. During sexual reproduction two types of gametes (male and female) are formed. During the fusion of gametes there is recombination of genetic material from two parents. This leads to greater variation in the offspring. As the offspring gets more variations, it is more likely to adjust better to environmental fluctuations.

Gametes contain half the usual number of chromosomes: During sexual reproduction, the combination of DNA from two parents would result in the offspring having twice the amount of DNA. To solve this problem, sexually reproducing individuals have special germ cells (gametes) with only half the normal number of chromosomes and, therefore, half the amount of DNA compared to the other cells of the body. When such germ cells from two individuals unite during sexual reproduction, the normal chromosome number and DNA content are restored.

Significance of sexual reproduction: Sexual reproduction results in new combinations of genes that are brought together during gamete formation. This reshuffling of genes in the gametes increases the chances of variation in the offspring. Moreover, the combination of two sets of chromosomes, one set from each parent, during zygote formation, leads to variation within a species.                                       

                      

Sexual Reproduction : -  This mode of reproduction involves the union of male and female. The fusion of gametes result in the formation of zygote fro which the new individual develops. This process is termed as fertilisation. So fertilisation is the fusion of the nuclei of male and female gamete to form a zygote from which a new individual can develop.

In animals, the male and female gametes are generally produced in separate individuals. The male gamete is called the sperm and is produced in the testes. The female gamete is called the ovum or egg and is produced in the ovaries. In certain animals like the tapeworm both sex organs (testes and ovary) are present in a single individual.

In plants, the sexes may or may not be separated. Accordingly, a flower is either unisexual (bearing either male or female game or bisexual (bearing both gametes).

Characteristics of sexual reproduction

  • Two different sexes i.e. male and female take part in the process.
  • The male sex organ produces the male gametes or sperms and the female sex organ produces the female gamete or ova.
  • Gametes are formed by meiosis and so are haploid in nature.
  • Sperms are motile and move towards ovumn for fertilisation and formation of a diploid zygote.
  • It is a slow process of multiplication.
  • Variations appear due to new combination of genes during crossing over.
  • Offsprings are genetically different from the parents.
  • Diploid zygote divides by mitosis and passes through different development phases to form a multicellular individual.
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    Sample Questions
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    Question : 1

    Reproduction in man is only __________________

    Right Option : B
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    Question : 2

    Characters transmitted from parents to offspring are present in ____________________

    Right Option : D
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    Explanation
    Question : 3

    Offspring formed as a result of sexual reproduction exhibit more variations because :

    Right Option : B
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