Final answer:
Asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic variation due to the absence of genetic recombination. Examples such as budding and bacterial binary fission illustrate this concept.
Step-by-step explanation:
Asexual reproduction results in offspring with identical genetic variation because there is no genetic recombination or exchange of genetic material between two parents. In asexual reproduction, a single parent organism produces offspring that are genetically identical to itself. This is due to the fact that asexual reproduction involves mitosis, a process that replicates the genetic material of the parent organism and passes the exact copies to the offspring.
For example, in budding, a form of asexual reproduction, a small outgrowth or bud forms on the parent organism and then detaches to become a separate individual. The genetic material of the bud is an exact copy of the parent organism.
In another example, bacteria reproduce asexually through binary fission. During binary fission, a single bacterium cell divides into two identical daughter cells, each containing the same genetic material as the parent cell.