What is Reproduction and Why is it Essential?

• Reproduction is the ability of living beings to produce new individuals

similar to them. It is essential for
(i) continuation of life on earth
(ii) addition of new species
(iii) replacement of dead organisms.
(iv) transfer of adaptations and variations from one generation to another.
 VARIATION
Variation means the change from one generation to another.
Variations are important for the survival of a species.
 TYPES OF REPRODUCTION

ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

• It is common in unicellular organisms. • It is common in multicellular
organisms.
• It’s a rapid mode of multiplication.
• The off-springs are identical to their • It’s not a rapid mode of multiplication.
parents. • It’s prone to variations.
• A single parent is involved. • Fusion of male and female gametes
takes place.
• It does not involve the fusion of
gametes.
MODES OF ASEXUAL
REPRODUCTION
 FISSION
• Fission means division. During asexual reproduction, the parent cell divides
into two or more cells.
• Fission can be of two types, namely, binary fission and multiple fission.
• In binary fission, parent cell divides into two equal halves called daughter
cells. Daughter cells are identical to each other and to their parent cell.
Examples of it are amoeba, bacteria etc.
• During multiple fission, organism divides itself into numerous daughter cells.
Examples of multiple fission are sporozoans and algae.
BINARY FISSION
 FRAGMENTATION
• Multi-cellular organisms like planaria, spirogyra, etc. reproduce by
fragmentation.
• The parent body divides into two or more fragments. Later, each fragment
develops into a new individual.
 REGENERATION
• When a lizard loses its tail, it grows a new one. This is known as
regeneration.
• The difference between regeneration and fragmentation is it that
fragmentation happens after maturing while regeneration happens
accidentally.
 BUDDING
• Some organisms develop buds on their body. These buds develop into a new
individual. This is known as budding.
• An example is a hydra.
• From the parent hydra, a bud arises which eventually matures into a new
hydra. Once it gets mature, it detaches from the parent body.
 VEGETATIVE PROPAGATION
• Plants reproduce asexually through their vegetative parts such as leaves,
roots, stem, and buds. This is known as vegetative propagation.
• Vegetative Propagation is of two types:
(i) Natural: by roots, stems, leaves etc.
(ii) Artificial: by cutting, grafting, layering etc.
• Grafting: In it, piece of one plant without roots can be attached to the part
with root of another plant. It is done to produce varieties of various plants.
 SPORE FORMATION
• Organisms which belong to the fungi group produce spores within a sac-like
structure called sporangium.
• Under the favourable condition, sporangium burst to release spores which
germinate to form new offspring.
 TISSUE CULTURE
• In it, new plants are grown used living tissues in a laboratory.
• Firstly, a growing tissue is detached from a plant, then it is provided the
nutrient rich medium where it multiplies itself and the multiplied body is
called callus.
• The callus is then transferred to fresh medium containing hormone for
growth and differentiation where is develops into a plantlet.
• After this these are placed in soil to grow like an ordinary plant.
MODES OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

• Gametes: The sex cells are called gametes.

• The sexual mode of reproduction involves two major processes:
(i) Formation of gametes by meiosis
(ii) Fusion of gametes
 SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN
FLOWERING PLANTS
• A flower comprises of 4 main parts:
(i) Sepals
(ii) Petals
(iii) Stamens
(iv) Carpels (Pistils)
• Stamens: It is the male reproductive part of the flower. It comprises of anther and
filament.
• Anther: It is a bilobed structure containing two pollen sacs present at tip of stamen. These
produce pollen grains that are yellowish in colour.
• Carpel (Pistil): It is the female reproductive part, which is present in the centre of the
flower. It comprises of three main parts:
(i) Stigma: It is the terminal part of carpel which may be sticky. It helps in receiving the
pollen grains.
(ii) Style: It is the middle elongated part of carpel. It helps in the attachment of stigma to the
ovary.
(iii) Ovary: It is the swollen bottom part of carpel. It contains ovules having an egg cell
(female gamete).
 Types of Flowers
1.) Unisexual Flowers: Flowers which have either male or female reproductive
parts inside it and the seeds are enclosed in their fruits are called unisexual
flowers. E.g.: Papaya, Watermelon etc
2.) Bisexual Flowers: Flowers which have both male and female reproductive
organs inside them are called bisexual flowers. E.g.: lily, rose, Hibiscus, mustard
etc.
• The male germ cell should fuse with the female germ cell to initiate the process of
reproduction in plants.
• Transfer of pollen grains from the anther of the stamen to the stigma of a flower is
termed as pollination.
• Pollination usually occurs in two ways:
(i) Self-Pollination: The pollen from the stamen of a flower is transferred to the
stigma of the same flower.
(ii) Cross-Pollination: The pollen from the stamen of a flower is transferred to the
stigma of different flower.
 FERTILISATION
• Pollination is followed by fertilization in plants.
• It is the process of fusion of male germ cells with the female gametes. It gives rise
to zygote.
• After fertilization, the zygote divides many times and forms an embryo within the
ovule. This ovule gets converted into a tough coat and then a seed.
• The ovary grows and ripens as a fruit. The seed contains the future embryo that
develops into a seedling under suitable conditions. This process is known as
germination.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN HUMAN
BEINGS
• The reproduction in human occurs after attaining puberty.
• Puberty is the period during adolescence when reproductive organs start
developing i.e. testis in males and ovary in females.
• Some changes take place during puberty in both males and females.
 CHANGES DURING PUBERTY

COMMON CHANGES SPECIFIC CHANGES

• Thick hair in armpits and genital areas between the • IN BOYS
thighs.
(i) Thick facial hair growth.
• Thinner hair on legs, arms and face.
(ii) Voice begins to crack.
• Oily skin and appearance of pimples.
(iii) Penis occasionally begins to become enlarged and
erect.
• IN GIRLS
(i) Breast size begins to increase.
(ii) Darkening of nipple skin.
(iii) Start of menstruation.
 FERTILISATION
• The fusion of male germ cells(sperms) and female germ cells(ovum) to form
zygote is known as fertilization.
MALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
• TESTIS: Paired, oval-shaped male sex organs; produce
male sex hormone and sperms.
• SCROTUM: small pouch that contains testis; present
outside the abdominal cavity as sperm formation needs
lower body temperature.
• VAS DEFERENS: Tubes which connect testis to the
urethra.
• URETHRA: Common passage for both sperms and
urine.
• PROSTATE GLAND: produces fluid which mixes up
with sperms to form semen.
• PENIS: external male genital organ; transfer sperms into
the vagina of the female during copulation.
• SPERMS: Tiny and motile bodies that use their long tail
to move through the female reproductive tract.
FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM
• OVARIES: Paired, oval-shaped; produce
egg cells; secrete female sex hormones.
• OVIDUCT: carries ova or egg from ovary
to uterus; sit of fertilization.
• UTERUS: growth and development of
foetus takes place
• CERVIX: lower and narrower portion of
uterus which opens into the vagina.
• VAGINA: receives the sperms from males
and serves as a birth canal.
 FERTILISATION AND
POST-FERTILISATION CHANGES
• The male gamete enters the fallopian tube and fuses with the female gamete
with the process of copulation or mating.
• Fertilisation occurs only if egg is there in the oviduct.
• When a sperm reaches an ovum, it penetrates inside the ovum and fusion of
both forms zygote.
• Zygote undergoes mitotic divisions to form an embryo.
• The embryo sinks down and reaches uterus and develops there into a foetus.
 PLACENTA
• Placenta is a soft tissue which grows between the uterine wall and the
embryo.
• Placenta has finger-like projections called villi inside it to increase the surface
area for exchange of oxygen and glucose between the mother and the
embryo.
• The developing embryo also generates waste substances which are released in
blood of mother through placenta only.
 MENSTRUATION
• In females, ovaries release an egg once every 28 days from the age of
puberty.
• The released egg waits for a sperm sitting in the fallopian tube and uterus
prepares itself for it.
• But when the egg is not fertilized, it breaks the lining of uterus and comes
out of the fallopian tube along with blood and mucus.
• It lasts for 2-8 days depending upon the vagina and female.
 SEX RATIO
• It is the ratio of the number of females to the number of males in a
population.
• Sex ratio should be maintained in order to have a healthy society.
BIRTH CONTROL
 FEMALE FOETICIDE
• The killing of unborn female babies inside the uterus is called female
foeticide.
• It’s happening because of misuse of ultrasound technologies.
• This is reducing the number of girls in the society.
Sexually Transmitted Diseases (STDs)
Q.) How STDs are spread?
The most common way of spreading STDs is sexual intercourse.
During unprotected sex, STDs gets transmitted.
These can also spread from mother to unborn child and used needles and
during blood transfusion.
*AIDS is caused by HIV (Human Immunodeficiency Virus)