Use
Reproduction is the process by which an organism
produces offsprings, an ability that is a unique
characteristic of plants and animals. There are two kinds
of reproduction: sexual and asexual.
In sexual reproduction, special cells containing half
the normal number of chromosomes called gametes, are
involved.
At the molecular level, the most important aspect of
reproduction is the ability of the chromosome to duplicate
itself. The production of haploid cells is made possible by
a process called meiosis and is necessary to prevent
doubling of the chromosome numbers with each
generation in sexually reproducing individuals. The
advantage of sexual reproduction is that the bringing
together of the genes derived from two individuals
produces variation in each generation enabling the
population to change and adapt to changing
environmental conditions.
In asexual reproduction, parts of an organism split
off to form new individuals. The process is found in some
animals but is more common in plants. Some examples
are the fission of single-celled plants, the budding of
yeasts, the fragmentation of filamentous algae, spore production in bacteria, algae and fungi and the production of vegetative organs in flowering plants(bulbs, rhizomes and tubers).