Variation in Species

Question 1

Which statement best explains why offspring produced by sexual reproduction have genetic variation while offspring produced by asexual reproduction are genetically identical?

Accepted Answer

Sexual reproduction combines genetic material from two parents through the fusion of gametes, creating new allele combinations, while asexual reproduction creates offspring by copying the parent’s DNA without recombination, resulting in identical genetics.

Answer

Both asexual and sexual reproduction produce offspring with the same genetic information; the difference is that scientists label the offspring from sexual reproduction as ‘variable’ for classification purposes.

Answer

Mutations that happen during cell division cause the genetic variation seen in asexual offspring, whereas sexual reproduction prevents mutations, so its offspring are genetically identical.

Answer

Asexual reproduction occurs only in stable environments, so offspring are identical; sexual reproduction occurs in changing environments, which forces offspring to be genetically different.

Question 2

Which explanation best describes why offspring produced by sexual reproduction usually have genetic variation, while offspring produced by asexual reproduction are genetically identical to the parent?

Accepted Answer

Sexual reproduction mixes the DNA from two different parents during meiosis and fertilization, creating new combinations of alleles in each offspring.

Answer

Asexual reproduction uses meiosis, which shuffles genes, while sexual reproduction uses mitosis, which copies genes exactly.

Answer

Genetic variation in sexual offspring is caused only by random mutations that occur after fertilization.

Answer

In sexual reproduction, each parent contributes identical copies of their DNA, so the offspring receive the same genetic information from both.

Question 3

A scientist observes two types of algae. One type reproduces asexually by splitting, and all of its offspring look the same in size and color. The other type reproduces sexually by combining gametes, and its offspring show many different sizes and colors. Which explanation best describes why the sexually reproducing algae have more genetic variation than the asexually reproducing algae?

Accepted Answer

Because sexual reproduction mixes genetic material from two parents, producing new combinations of alleles.

Answer

Because sexual reproduction copies the DNA of a single parent exactly, so all offspring are identical.

Answer

Because asexual reproduction introduces random mutations that create genetic variation.

Answer

Because differences in size and color are caused by the environment, not by the type of reproduction.

Try three questions

Which statement best explains why offspring produced by sexual reproduction have genetic variation while offspring produced by asexual reproduction are genetically identical?

Which explanation best describes why offspring produced by sexual reproduction usually have genetic variation, while offspring produced by asexual reproduction are genetically identical to the parent?

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