Question

Conventional external fertilization involves both males and females extruding gametes into the environment where they fertilize separate from the parents; internal fertilization involves sperm being transferred to the female with fertilization inside the female. A leech utilizes:

a. Internal fertilization
b. External fertilization
c. Copulation
d. Hermaphroditism

Answer 1

Leeches utilize internal fertilization, which provides advantages such as protection for the fertilized eggs from dehydration and predation, and it often results in a higher survival rate for the offspring.

Step-by-step explanation:

The leech utilizes internal fertilization. This process can vary in animals, with some species directly depositing sperm during mating, while others may deposit it in a protective structure in the environment for the female to pick up. Despite the environment in which a leech lives, it opts for internal fertilization.

This method is generally advantageous on land as it protects the fertilized egg from dehydration and predation, and enhances the chances of a particular male's sperm fertilizing the eggs. Internal fertilization generally leads to the production of fewer offspring compared to external fertilization, but these offspring tend to have higher survival rates.