Advantages & Disadvantages of Sexual & Asexual Reproduction (AQA GCSE Biology): Revision Note
Exam code: 8461
Sexual reproduction
Advantages & disadvantages of sexual reproduction table
Advantages | Disadvantages |
Increases genetic variation | Takes time and energy to find mates |
The species can adapt to new environments due to variation, giving them a survival advantage | Difficult for isolated members of the species to reproduce |
Disease is less likely to affect the population (due to variation) |
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An additional advantage of sexual reproduction is our ability to use it and control it for our own needs:
Natural selection can be speeded up by humans in selective breeding to increase food production
We have controlled sexual reproduction in cows and selectively bred them to produce offspring that produce more milk and more meat than they would have under natural conditions
Asexual reproduction
Advantages & disadvantages of asexual reproduction table
Advantages | Disadvantages |
The population can be increased rapidly when conditions are right | Limited genetic variation in population - offspring are genetically identical to their parents |
Can exploit suitable environments quickly | The population is vulnerable to changes in conditions and may only be suited for one habitat |
More time and energy-efficient | Disease is more likely to affect the whole population as there is no genetic variation |
Reproduction is completed much faster than sexual reproduction |
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As only one parent is needed, asexual reproduction is more time and energy-efficient than sexual reproduction, as asexually reproducing organisms do not need to find a mate
Sexual & Asexual Reproduction
Some organisms reproduce by both methods depending on the circumstances. For example:
Malarial parasites
Malaria is caused by parasites that are carried by mosquitoes
The parasites are transferred to a human when the mosquito feeds on the human’s blood
These malarial parasites reproduce asexually in the human host, but sexually in the mosquito
Fungi
Many fungi reproduce both asexually and sexually
These species of fungi release spores, which develop into new fungi
These spores can be produced via asexual or sexual reproduction
Spores that are produced via sexual reproduction show variation (they are genetically different from each other)
Plants
Many plants produce seeds via sexual reproduction but are also able to reproduce asexually
They reproduce asexually in different ways:
Some plants (e.g. strawberry plants) produce ‘runners’ (stems that grow horizontally away from the parent plant, at the end of which new identical offspring plants form)
Some plants (e.g. daffodils) reproduce via bulb division (new bulbs form from the main bulb underground and then grow into new identical offspring plants)
Plant runners diagram
Some plants grow side shoots called runners that contain tiny plantlets on them. These will grow roots and develop into separate plants
Plant bulbs diagram
Some plants develop underground food storage organs that will develop into next years plants – bulbs are an example of this
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