Reproduction and Life Cycles

Reproduction is the process by which organisms produce new individuals, ensuring the continuity of a species across generations. Living things reproduce in two fundamentally different ways, each with its own advantages, and these strategies shape the life cycles of organisms.

Asexual Reproduction

Asexual reproduction involves a single parent and produces offspring that are genetically identical to that parent, forming a clone. Because it relies on mitosis, no gametes and no fertilization are involved.

Common forms include:

• Binary fission in bacteria, where a cell copies its DNA and splits into two.
• Budding in organisms such as yeast and hydra, where a new individual grows out from the parent.
• Vegetative propagation in plants, where new plants grow from roots, stems, or runners, as in stra