A cat gives birth to kittens that do not look identical to either parent but rather look like a combination of both. However, a paramecium, shown here, is identical to its parent organism entirely. What statement best explains this?

Question

Responses
A Kittens develop new features, which help them survive better than the paramecium offspring.Kittens develop new features, which help them survive better than the paramecium offspring.
B Kittens change themselves according to the environment better than the paramecium offspring.Kittens change themselves according to the environment better than the paramecium offspring.
C Kittens receive features from one parent but the paramecium offspring receives features from both parents.Kittens receive features from one parent but the paramecium offspring receives features from both parents.
D Kittens receive features from both parents but the paramecium offspring receives features from a single parent.

Answer 1

The statement that best explains the difference in the appearance of kittens and paramecium offspring is:

D. Kittens receive features from both parents but the paramecium offspring receives features from a single parent.

This is because kittens are the result of sexual reproduction, which involves the combination of genetic material from two parents, leading to offspring that exhibit traits from both. In contrast, paramecia reproduce asexually through processes like binary fission, resulting in offspring that are genetically identical to the single parent.