Plant groups  Photosynthesis    Sexual reproduction   Asexual reproduction

Asexual Reproduction in plants
Non flowering plants        Flowering plants  Comparing sexual with asexual

1. Non-flowering plants 
Algae: Often single celled plants, algae reproduce by binary fission (see cells)

Strand of Spirogyra (x30) An example of an algae plant. It multiples by binary fission. The nucleus divides and then the cell splits in two so that it grows longer.

Moss and ferns: Reproduce by making SPORES. 
Spores do NOT need fertilizing and will grow whenever the correct conditions are met.

Fungi: Fungi do not posses chlorophyll so they cannot carry out photosynthesis.

They are often parasites (living on other living organisms) or saprophytes (living on dead organisms and causing them to decay).

Fungi often reproduce by forming spores. The spores grow whenever the conditions are suitable ( moisture, nourishment and warmth)

Examples of fungi: mushroom, mould, yeast. Athletes foot is caused by a fungus.

All of the methods described above (making sores and binary fission) are examples of ASEXUAL reproduction and no fertilization in involved.

2. Asexual reproduction in Flowering Plants
Flowering plants have to sexually to make seeds however there are certain advantages to reproducing asexually, the main one being that it is a more rapid process.

examples of asexual reproduction in a flowering plant are:

• Budding, eg spider plant
• Runners, eg grass, strawberry
• Making tubers (as in a daffodil)

Most animals reproduce sexually ( ie the female produces eggs which need to be fertilized by sperm from the male)

Comparing sexual with asexual reproduction

	Sexual	Asexual
Definition	Sexual reproduction always requires fertilization.	Asexual reproduction does NOT require fertilization
Advantages	The offspring will be different to its parents. This allows the species to adapt to its surroundings. The fertilized egg (zygote) can sometimes survive in adverse conditions (eg drought)	Asexual reproduction is usually faster than sexual and so a new plant or animal can colonise an area more quickly
Disadvantages	Often slower than asexual reproduction, and less reliable.	The new organisms are genetically identical to their parents. This means they will look exactly the same as each other.
Examples	All animals reproduce sexually (eg fly, human, snake, frog. All flowering plants and those that make seeds reproduce sexually. eg daffodil, grass, rose, oak tree.	Plants that make spores eg moss, ferns. fungi, eg mould, which make spores. Single cells, which reproduce by binary fission, eg Amoeba Budding, eg spider plant Runners, eg grass, strawberry

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