Final answer:
The offspring grows from the body of the parent during budding, a form of asexual reproduction seen in hydras, corals, and yeast. This process involves the growth and separation of a new individual from the parent organism. The correct answer is option D. budding.
Step-by-step explanation:
During budding, the offspring grows from the body of the parent. This form of asexual reproduction is characterized by the growth of a bud from the parent organism, which eventually matures and separates to become a new individual. This is commonly seen in organisms such as hydras, corals, and yeast. In hydras, for example, a new adult forms from the bud and breaks away from the main body. Unlike fragmentation, where a parent organism breaks into parts that each potentially develop into a new organism, like in starfish, budding involves the formation of a distinct new growth from the parent's body.
In yeast, the process involves a bulge forming on the side of the cell, followed by mitotic nuclear division and the budding off of the new organisms from the mother cell. Thus, the correct answer to the question is D. budding.