Question

Explain in your own words why sexual reproduction can be useful if a protist’s environment changes.

a) Sexual reproduction creates genetic diversity, enhancing adaptation to changing environments.
b) Sexual reproduction conserves energy during environmental changes.
c) Sexual reproduction enables immediate responses to environmental changes.
d) Sexual reproduction slows down the adaptation process to environmental changes.

Answer 1

Sexual reproduction in protists enhances their ability to adapt to changing environments by creating genetic diversity and enabling the formation of resistant cysts.

Step-by-step explanation:

Sexual reproduction, involving meiosis and fertilization, is common among protists, and many protist species can switch from asexual to sexual reproduction when necessary. Sexual reproduction is often associated with periods when nutrients are depleted or environmental changes occur. Sexual reproduction may allow the protist to recombine genes and produce new variations of progeny, some of which may be better suited to surviving changes in a new or changing environment. However, sexual reproduction is often associated with resistant cysts that are a protective, resting stage. Depending on the habitat of the species, the cysts may be particularly resistant to temperature extremes, desiccation, or low pH. This strategy allows certain protists to 'wait out' stressors until their environment becomes more favorable for survival or until they are carried (such as by wind, water, or transport on a larger organism) to a different environment because cysts exhibit virtually no cellular metabolism.