Question
When organisms reproduce, they pass genetic material (DNA) on to their offspring, or children. All living things reproduce, and all reproduction can be classified as either sexual or asexual.
During asexual reproduction, a single parent produces offspring. Each offspring inherits an exact copy of the parent’s DNA. Because they are genetically identical to each other and their parent, offspring in asexual reproduction are referred to as clones.

Asexual reproduction can occur in a variety of ways. Some of these are shown below.
Credit: Bacteria achromatium Maple Ferryman, CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, via Wikimedia Commons. Image rotated from original.Credit: Rainbow Star (Orthasterias koehleri) by mckittre, CC-BY 4.0 license. Cropped from original.Binary fission: A parent divides into two offspring. This is common in bacteria.Fragmentation: A piece (fragment) of the parent breaks off and develops into a new organism.Budding: A new organism develops from a small “bud” on the parent’s body.
1
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence. Not all answer choices will be used.
In binary fission, fragmentation, and budding, offspring are genetically
each other because they get their DNA from
.
different from
identical to
one parent
two parents
2
Examine the images shown in the table above Question 1. What is true of organisms that reproduce asexually?
A
They always live underwater
B
They are typically small and simple
C
They have complex body structures
D
They are harmful to humans
Asexual reproduction is quick and efficient because it does not require organisms to find a mate. However, asexual reproduction makes a population vulnerable to diseases and environmental changes. Since all offspring have the same DNA, an environmental pressure that negatively affects one organism is likely to harm the entire population.
On the other hand, most complex organisms, including many plants and animals, reproduce sexually. In sexual reproduction, there are two parents, each with reproductive cells called gametes. Each gamete contains half of the parent’s DNA, randomly assorted so that no two gametes are alike.

When a gamete from one parent joins a gamete from the other, the result is a unique combination of both parents’ DNA. Because of this, offspring of sexual reproduction have genetic variation, or differences in their DNA. This makes a population more adaptable to environmental changes.
However, since sexual reproduction involves two parents, it requires more time and energy than asexual reproduction. Compare bears and bacteria, for example. Bears take almost two years to produce offspring, while some kinds of bacteria divide every 20 minutes!
3
According to the text, how are sexual and asexual reproduction similar?
A
They both result in the production of offspring
B
They require similar amounts of time and energy
C
They both create offspring very little genetic variation
D
They both involve reproductive cells called gametes
4
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences. Not all answer choices will be used.
Offspring of sexual reproduction inherit a
of parent DNA. As a result, they have
genetic variation than offspring of asexual reproduction.
copy
mix
more
less
5
Like most animals, bears reproduce sexually. How would the world change if bears were suddenly able to reproduce asexually, like bacteria? Briefly justify your answer.

Make an observation!
You will need strong observations to answer the Guiding Question later on.
Observation
0
During asexual reproduction, a single parent produces offspring. Each offspring inherits an exact copy of the parent’s DNA. Because they are genetically identical to each other and their parent, offspring in asexual reproduction are referred to as clones.

Asexual reproduction can occur in a variety of ways. Some of these are shown below.
Credit: Bacteria achromatium Maple Ferryman, CC Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license, via Wikimedia Commons. Image rotated from original.Credit: Rainbow Star (Orthasterias koehleri) by mckittre, CC-BY 4.0 license. Cropped from original.Binary fission: A parent divides into two offspring. This is common in bacteria.Fragmentation: A piece (fragment) of the parent breaks off and develops into a new organism.Budding: A new organism develops from a small “bud” on the parent’s body.
1
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence. Not all answer choices will be used.
In binary fission, fragmentation, and budding, offspring are genetically
each other because they get their DNA from
.
different from
identical to
one parent
two parents
2
Examine the images shown in the table above Question 1. What is true of organisms that reproduce asexually?
A
They always live underwater
B
They are typically small and simple
C
They have complex body structures
D
They are harmful to humans
Asexual reproduction is quick and efficient because it does not require organisms to find a mate. However, asexual reproduction makes a population vulnerable to diseases and environmental changes. Since all offspring have the same DNA, an environmental pressure that negatively affects one organism is likely to harm the entire population.
On the other hand, most complex organisms, including many plants and animals, reproduce sexually. In sexual reproduction, there are two parents, each with reproductive cells called gametes. Each gamete contains half of the parent’s DNA, randomly assorted so that no two gametes are alike.

When a gamete from one parent joins a gamete from the other, the result is a unique combination of both parents’ DNA. Because of this, offspring of sexual reproduction have genetic variation, or differences in their DNA. This makes a population more adaptable to environmental changes.
However, since sexual reproduction involves two parents, it requires more time and energy than asexual reproduction. Compare bears and bacteria, for example. Bears take almost two years to produce offspring, while some kinds of bacteria divide every 20 minutes!
3
According to the text, how are sexual and asexual reproduction similar?
A
They both result in the production of offspring
B
They require similar amounts of time and energy
C
They both create offspring very little genetic variation
D
They both involve reproductive cells called gametes
4
Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences. Not all answer choices will be used.
Offspring of sexual reproduction inherit a
of parent DNA. As a result, they have
genetic variation than offspring of asexual reproduction.
copy
mix
more
less
5
Like most animals, bears reproduce sexually. How would the world change if bears were suddenly able to reproduce asexually, like bacteria? Briefly justify your answer.

Make an observation!
You will need strong observations to answer the Guiding Question later on.
Observation
0
Answers
GPT-4o mini
1. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.
In binary fission, fragmentation, and budding, offspring are genetically **identical to** each other because they get their DNA from **one parent**.
---
2. Examine the images shown in the table above Question 1. What is true of organisms that reproduce asexually?
**B**. They are typically small and simple.
---
3. According to the text, how are sexual and asexual reproduction similar?
**A**. They both result in the production of offspring.
---
4. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
Offspring of sexual reproduction inherit a **mix** of parent DNA. As a result, they have **more** genetic variation than offspring of asexual reproduction.
---
5. Like most animals, bears reproduce sexually. How would the world change if bears were suddenly able to reproduce asexually, like bacteria? Briefly justify your answer.
If bears were able to reproduce asexually, the world could see a rapid increase in the bear population, as they would not need to find mates, allowing them to reproduce much more quickly. However, this lack of genetic diversity would make the entire population more vulnerable to diseases and environmental changes. If one bear is affected by a disease or an adverse environmental factor, it's likely that all offspring would also be affected in the same way, potentially threatening the overall survival of bears as a species. This could disrupt ecosystems where bears play critical roles and could lead to issues regarding food competition and habitat sustainability.
In binary fission, fragmentation, and budding, offspring are genetically **identical to** each other because they get their DNA from **one parent**.
---
2. Examine the images shown in the table above Question 1. What is true of organisms that reproduce asexually?
**B**. They are typically small and simple.
---
3. According to the text, how are sexual and asexual reproduction similar?
**A**. They both result in the production of offspring.
---
4. Fill in the blanks to complete the sentences.
Offspring of sexual reproduction inherit a **mix** of parent DNA. As a result, they have **more** genetic variation than offspring of asexual reproduction.
---
5. Like most animals, bears reproduce sexually. How would the world change if bears were suddenly able to reproduce asexually, like bacteria? Briefly justify your answer.
If bears were able to reproduce asexually, the world could see a rapid increase in the bear population, as they would not need to find mates, allowing them to reproduce much more quickly. However, this lack of genetic diversity would make the entire population more vulnerable to diseases and environmental changes. If one bear is affected by a disease or an adverse environmental factor, it's likely that all offspring would also be affected in the same way, potentially threatening the overall survival of bears as a species. This could disrupt ecosystems where bears play critical roles and could lead to issues regarding food competition and habitat sustainability.