Julia and Vinay are learning about cells in their high school Biology class. To gain a deeper understanding of cells, their teacher is having them perform a laboratory experiment to identify unknown cell types. Julia and Vinay must create a hypothesis based on the cell types they believe they will identify. Then they will be given three microscope slides that contain samples of different cell types. During the experiment, Julia and Vinay will answer analysis questions, and after the experiment, they will complete a laboratory report with a conclusion. After Julia and Vinay got their microscope slides, they set them up on their microscope. The images show the three cell types Julia and Vinay viewed while looking under their microscope. Sample X Sample Y Sample Z Julia and Vinay both agree that the cells found in Sample Y come from an animal. They infer that the organism the cells were extracted from produces gametes to create offspring. Select the best advantage associated with this method of reproduction that Julia and Vinay could list in their laboratory notebook. a It only requires one parent. b It can quickly increase a population. c Genetically identical offspring are produced. d There is genetic variation among the offspring.

Answer 1

The best advantage associated with the method of reproduction that Julia and Vinay could list in their laboratory notebook is:

d. There is genetic variation among the offspring.

This is because sexual reproduction, which produces gametes, typically results in offspring that are genetically diverse, contributing to the adaptability and evolution of the species.