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

Answer 1

The best statement that explains the differences between 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 produced through sexual reproduction, which combines traits from both the mother and the father, resulting in offspring that are a mix of both. In contrast, paramecium reproduce asexually, typically by binary fission, whereby the offspring are clones of the parent and thus genetically identical to a single parent.