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
A plant that flowers only rarely, as an unusual example, is:The end of the vegetative phase in higher plants is marked by:In plants, the juvenile phase is known as the phase that is:The growth period before an organism can reproduce is the phase called:Compared with asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction is described as:In sexual reproduction, the fusion of gametes forms the:Runner, rhizome, sucker, tuber, offset and bulb are examples of:In yeast, the cell division is described as: