Reproduction

Definition
noun
The production of offspring by organized bodies
verb: reproduce
To produce again; to recreate
Supplement
Reproduction refers to the production of offspring by organized bodies. The offspring is produced as a new individual organism from the parent(s). It is one of the fundamental attributes of a living thing. Reproduction is a demonstration of the ability of an organism to produce a new organism referred to as offspring.

How is asexual reproduction different from sexual reproduction? Get the answer here: Asexual and sexual reproduction differences. Join our Forum to discover more.

There are two forms of reproduction. These are sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction. Sexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction involving the fusion of female gamete (ovum) and male gamete (spermatozoon). This leads to the formation of a zygote that potentially develops into genetically distinct offspring. It usually entails processes such as meiosis and fertilization. Meiosis is an important process to generate gametes that are haploid and genetically different (through genetic recombinations) so that during fertilization, the newly formed zygote will contain the original number of chromosomes but with a genome that is different from either parent. Asexual reproduction is a form of reproduction that does not involve meiosis, ploidy reduction or fertilization, and the offspring is a clone of the parent organism. An organism capable of asexual reproduction is able to produce offspring in the absence of a mate. In asexual reproduction, the offspring is a clone of the parent and therefore results in low genetic variation in the species as a whole.