Final answer:
Asexual reproduction is when a new organism is generated from one parent organism, producing offspring that are genetically identical to the parent. It's prevalent in various life forms including some bacteria and animals. This mode of reproduction contrasts with sexual reproduction where two parents are involved, generating offspring with genetic variation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Asexual reproduction is a type of reproduction in which a new organism is produced from one parent organism. This is in contrast to sexual reproduction, where a new organism is produced from two parent organisms. In asexual reproduction, the parent organism produces offspring that are genetically identical to it, as its entire genetic material is copied to the offspring. Examples of asexual reproduction include budding, where part of the parent separates and grows into a new individual, and fission, another form of asexual reproduction prevalent in unicellular organisms like bacteria.
On the other hand, there are organisms that produce through mitosis, a process of cell division producing two genetically identical cells, which is also considered asexual reproduction. However, meiosis is different, as it involves two parents producing gametes (sex cells), and the offspring have half the chromosomes of each parent, introducing genetic variation.
While asexual reproduction can produce large numbers of offspring quickly and is beneficial in stable or predictable environments, it may be at a disadvantage in unstable or unpredictable environments as all offspring are genetically identical and may not adapt to different conditions.
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