What is Reproduction?

Reproduction is the process of producing individuals of the same kind. Most organisms reproduce by
mating, which increases the genetic variability of the organism. The males and females have separate
reproductive organs known as gonads. These gonads produce gametes that fuse together to form a
single cell called the zygote.

Few animals such as earthworms, snails, slugs, etc. are hermaphrodites and possess male and female
reproductive organs in the same organism.

Also Read: Reproduction

Table of Contents

Modes

Sexual

Asexual

Types

Binary Fission

Budding

Fragmentation

Regeneration

Parthenogenesis

Modes of Reproduction

Depending on the number of parents involved, there are different modes of reproduction. In animals is
two types of reproduction:

Sexual Reproduction.
Asexual Reproduction.

Also Read: Modes of Reproduction

Let us go through the following reproduction notes to explore sexual and asexual reproduction in
animals.

Sexual Reproduction in Animals

The process in which the male and female gametes fuse together to form a new individual is called
sexual reproduction. Let us have a brief account of the human reproductive organs and their role in
reproduction.

Also Read: Sexual Reproduction

Reproductive Organs

The male reproductive organs comprise a pair of testes, sperm ducts, and a penis. The sperms are
produced by the testes. The sperms are very small in size with a head, a middle piece, and a tail.

The female reproductive organs comprise a pair of ovaries, oviducts, and the uterus. The eggs (ova) are
produced by the ovaries. The development of the baby takes place in the uterus. A mature egg is
released into the oviduct every month.

Process of Sexual Reproduction in Animals

Fertilization

The semen contains millions of sperm. A single sperm fuses with the ova during fertilization. The nuclei
of the egg and the sperm fuse together to form a single nucleus. Thus, a zygote is formed.

Fertilization is of two types:

Internal Fertilization

The fertilization that takes place inside the body of the female is known as internal fertilization. For eg.,
humans, cows, dogs, etc. This method is more prevalent in terrestrial animals. However, some aquatic
animals also adopt this method. This may take place by direct introduction of sperms by the male in the
female reproductive tract, or the male deposits the sperms in the environment which is picked up by the
female in her reproductive tract.

There are three ways by which offspring are produced by internal fertilization:

Oviparity– The fertilized eggs are laid outside, where they receive nourishment from the yolk.

Ovoviviparity– The fertilized eggs are retained in the female’s body where they receive nourishment
from the yolk. The eggs are laid right before they are hatched.

Viviparity– The offspring are born directly instead of hatching from the eggs. They receive nutrition from
the mother. This can be seen in mammals.

External Fertilization

The fertilization that takes place outside the female is called external fertilization. For eg., frogs, and fish.
Most fertilization takes place during the process of spawning. Environmental signals such as water
temperature trigger spawning.

Embryo Development

The zygote divides repeatedly to form a ball of cells. This is known as the developing embryo. These cells
differentiate into respective tissues and organs. The embryo gets implanted in the uterine wall. This
process is known as implantation.

When all the body parts of the embryo start being visible, it is called a foetus. The child is developed
after nine months in humans.
Viviparous and Oviparous Animals

Oviparous and viviparous animals are two different groups of animals, which are classified on the basis
of fertilization. The main difference between oviparous and viviparous animals are listed below:

Oviparous Viviparous

Meaning

Egg-laying animals Animals that give birth to the young ones

Fertilization

Either internal or external Fertilization is internal

Nutrients to the developing embryo

Provided by the egg yolk Provided by the mother through the placenta

Development of zygote

There is very little or no development of the embryo inside the mother. The embryo develops entirely
inside the mother.

Survival chances

There are fewer chances of survival since the eggs are laid outside the body The young one is
protected inside the mother and so the chances of survival are more.

Examples

Insects, hens, fish, amphibians, etc. Humans, dogs, cats, horses, etc.

Asexual Reproduction in Animals

Besides sexual reproduction, the other major type of reproduction seen in the animal kingdom is asexual
reproduction. This type of reproduction is mostly observed in lower organisms and unicellular microbes.

It is the process in which a new individual is formed by the involvement of a single parent without the
involvement of the gamete formation. The individuals produced are genetically and morphologically
similar. The cells divide by mitotic division and no fertilization takes place. The division occurs very
rapidly.
Types Of Asexual Reproduction

Asexual Reproduction is of the following types:

Binary Fission

It is seen in amoeba and euglena. The parent cell undergoes mitosis and increases in size. The nucleus
also divides. Two identical daughter cells are obtained, each containing a nucleus. Prokaryotes like
bacteria majorly reproduce by binary fission.

Budding

In this, the offspring grows out of the body of the parent. It remains attached to the parent until it
matures. After maturation, it detaches itself from the parent and lives as an individual organism. This
form of reproduction is most common in Hydras.

Fragmentation

In some organisms like Planarians, when the body of an organism breaks into several pieces each piece
grows into an individual offspring. This is known as fragmentation. It can occur through accidental
damage by predators or otherwise, or as a natural form of reproduction. In a few animals such as sea
stars, a broken arm grows into a complete organism.

Regeneration

It is a modified form of fragmentation and occurs mostly in Echinoderms. When a part of an organism,
like an arm, detaches from the parent body, it grows into a completely new individual. This is known as
regeneration.

Parthenogenesis

This is a form of asexual reproduction where the egg develops without fertilization. This process occurs
in bees, wasps, ants, aphids, rotifers, etc. Ants, wasps, and bees produce haploid males.
Parthenogenesis has been observed in a few vertebrates such as hammerhead sharks, Komodo dragons,
and blacktop sharks when the females were isolated from the males.
Frequently Asked Questions – FAQs

Q1

What are the advantages of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction?

Advantages of sexual reproduction are:

a) Variations: Due to recombination and crossing over, sexual reproduction brings about variations in
species. Variations are essential for the individuality and evolution of species.

b) Better adaptability: Increased variability due to sexual reproduction helps in better adaptability of
species.

c) Evolution: It helps in the evolution of species.

Harmful traits can be removed by the selection of better-adapted individuals or maybe not be expressed
due to the reshuffling of gene pairs.

Q2

What is the difference between sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction?

Sexual:

——-

1.) Two parents take part

2.) Variation occurs in offspring

3.) Fertilization takes place

4.) Gametes are involved

5.) Mixing of hereditary material

Asexual:

———

1.) Single parent

2.) Offspring are genetically identical to each other and to their parent

3.) No Internal fertilization or External fertilization

4.) No gametes

5.) No mixing of hereditary material

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