Unit 4: Reproduction                                                                1   2   3 

2.1. Asexual reproduction in animals

Asexual reproduction is common in unicellular organisms and plants, but it only occurs in the most simple and least evolved animals.

The two main types of asexual reproduction in animals are:

- Gemmation (or budding):

 An outgrowth, bud, from the body of the parent, develops into

 a new  individual.

 Buds can:

   - Separate from the parent, forming an independent individual (e.g. hydra)

   - Remain attached to the parent, forming a colony (e.g. corals)

- Fragmentation:

 A new organism grows from a fragment of the parent. Each fragment  develops into a mature,fully-grown individual (e.g. planarian)

Some animals can regenerate lost or damage body parts. This process is called regeneration. It is not a type of asexual reproduction. For example, lizards can regenerate their lost tails or starfish can regenerate their lost arms.

2.2. Listen and relate each description with a type of asexual reproduction.

        Why cannot regeneration be considered a type of asexual reproduction?