Why do most COMPLEX animals and flowering plants reproduce sexually, while many simple organisms (yeast, hydra) reproduce asexually?
AAsexual reproduction is faster and adequate for rapidly-multiplying simple organisms; sexual reproduction is slower but generates the genetic variation that complex organisms need to adapt to changing environments over evolutionary timescales
BSimple organisms cannot produce gametes
CSexual reproduction is faster
DSexual reproduction is purely for humans
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Asexual reproduction is faster and adequate for rapidly-multiplying simple organisms; sexual reproduction is slower but generates the genetic variation that complex organisms need to adapt to changing environments over evolutionary timescales
Asexual reproduction is fast and cheap (just one parent, no mate-finding) — perfect for organisms in stable environments where speed matters more than variation. Sexual reproduction is slower and 'costly' (mate-finding, only half your genes go to each offspring), but generates the genetic diversity that helps complex species adapt over generations. Many organisms (including some simple ones) actually do BOTH, switching depending on conditions.
Related questions
Fungi (like Rhizopus and Aspergillus) reproduce asexually by producing:In humans, the female gamete is called the ___ and the male gamete is called the ___:Grafting (e.g. of fruit trees) is performed because:Why is genetic variation in offspring important for a species?In humans, how many chromosomes does each NORMAL body cell contain?Vegetative propagation in plants is an example of:A small outgrowth on the parent body that develops into a new individual (seen in Hydra anIn SEXUAL reproduction, the offspring inherit: