Question

Mutations are changes to genes that can be categorized as harmful, beneficial, or neutral. Harmful mutations negatively affect an organism’s ability to survive or reproduce, while beneficial mutations create an advantage in the affected organism. Neutral mutations do not harm or help the affected organism.



Sea stars are able to reproduce by spawning, when females release eggs into the water that are fertilized by male sea stars' sperm. Sea stars can also reproduce through binary fission, or regeneration, when a central part of a sea star is broken off and grows into a new sea star.

Two sea stars from the same population have a mutation. The mutation affects the color of the sea stars. The diagram shows a chromosome with the affected gene present.



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Both of the sea stars affected by the mutation reproduce and create offspring. The parent sea stars pass on genes to their offspring. The diagrams show a chromosome from each sea star parent and a resulting chromosome from their three offspring.



Parent 1



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Parent 2



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Which TWO choices describe benefits of the process of asexual reproduction?


There is more genetic variation among offspring.


Only one parent is needed to produce offspring.


Allows for more diversity and evolution of a species.


Populations are better able to adapt to changes in the environment.


Large numbers of offspring can be produced in short periods of time.

Answer 1

- Only one parent is needed to produce offspring.
(Asexual reproduction does not require a mate.)

- Large numbers of offspring can be produced in short periods of time.
(Asexual methods are often fast and efficient, allowing rapid population increase.)

Note: asexual reproduction produces little genetic variation, so it does not increase diversity or adaptability.