E. coli is a species of bacteria. What advantage does E. coli have over sexually reproducing organisms?

Question

The bacteria’s offspring have differences in their DNA.
The bacteria require less energy to make offspring.
The bacteria can reproduce more slowly.
The bacteria’s offspring have to fight for resources.

Answer 1

The advantage that E. coli has over sexually reproducing organisms is:

The bacteria require less energy to make offspring.

Bacteria, including E. coli, reproduce asexually through a process called binary fission, which allows them to multiply rapidly with relatively low energy expenditure and resources compared to the energy and time required for sexual reproduction in many multicellular organisms.