Reproduction in Plants and Animals

Imagine a gardener checking on his growing plants at the beginning of spring. He notices a few
tiny insects eating some of his plants. The gardener isn’t worried—a few insects are not a concern.
But when he comes back several weeks later, his plants are covered in these small insects. There
are at least ten
times as many insects as there were several weeks
ago! Where did all of these insects come from? How
do organisms make more of their species?
Reproduction produces offspring
Reproduction is a process by which an organism produces
offspring, or young. All organisms reproduce. If they didn’t,
no species would survive past a single generation. The tiny insects developing
Reproduction allows organisms to pass on their traits, or inside these eggs will grow
characteristics to their offspring. Parents pass on their into adult insects.
traits through their genetic material, or DNA.

Sexual Reproduction requires two parents

Sexual reproduction requires a male and female. Each parent contributes half of their genetic
material, or DNA, to their offspring. The female contributes her DNA in an egg cell. The male
contributes his DNA in a sperm cell. When the egg and sperm combine, they form the new
offspring.

Offspring may look similar to their parents, but they are

not exact copies. In sexual reproduction, each offspring
has a mixture of its parent’s traits. Parents may pass on
dominant traits or recessive traits to their offspring.
Each offspring may be different from its siblings. For
These puppies are a product example, suppose the father in a human family does not
of sexual reproduction have freckles, but his wife does. Among their children,
. They each have a unique mixture one child might not have
of their parents traits. freckles, but the other dominant trait:
children might have them. If present, determines the
In sexual reproduction, the trait of an organism
offspring have a unique combination of their parents’ traits. This is
why organisms that reproduce sexually have diverse offspring. recessive trait:
A trait that is masked if a
dominant trait is present

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 Reproduction in Plants and Animals

The process of reproduction in a flowering plant takes place in reproduction:

the flower. A flowering plant produces seeds through the the process of an organism
process of sexual reproduction. The flower serves as the producing
plant’s reproductive center. more of its own kind

Specific structures in each plant plays a part in plant sexual reproduction.

• Petals - They surround the plant’s reproductive parts of the flower. Petals are usually a colorful
structure arranged in a circle around the top of the stem.

• Sepals – Modified leaves that encase a developing flower. Sepals are the sterile parts of the
flower and are usually green or leaf like.

• Stamen – The male reproductive organ of a flower. The stamen consists of an anther and a
stalk (filament). The anther is responsible for producing pollen that contains sperm cells.

• Pistil – The female reproductive organ of a flower. The pistil consists of an ovary, stigma, and
style. The style is a stalk structure between the ovary and the stigma. The ovary is responsible
for producing the egg cells. The stigma has an adhesive area that allows the pollen from the
stamen to stick to the pistil.

The flower parts of the plant function together in

pollination and fertilization. Pollination is the
movement of pollen from the male part of a plant
to the female parts of a plant. Fertilization is the
process of the male reproductive material
fertilizing the ovum.

fertilization:
occurs when the male and
female sex cells unite to
form a seed.

The wind assists in the pollination by blowing seeds to another location. Sometimes a plant needs
another organism to assist in pollination, such as bees. Animals with fur can also help in the
pollination process. If an animal eats a plant’s fruit, which contains seeds, the animal will release
the seed in their scat.

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 Reproduction in Plants and Animals

Asexual Reproduction
Eukaryotic organisms reproduce asexually in several ways. Fungi, such as mushrooms, form
spores. Spores are tiny reproductive structures that contain a copy of the parent DNA. Some
organisms reproduce by budding. In budding, a smaller version of the parent organism grows out
of the parent. Eventually, it separates from the parent and begins to function on its own. This would
be similar to another person growing out of your body!

eukaryotic: Hydra are tiny aquatic

describes an organism animals. The hydra shown
that has cells with a on the left is reproducing by
nucleus and other budding. The arrow is
membrane-bound pointing to the offspring that
organelles is growing out of the parent
hydra toward the front of
the image.

Asexual Reproduction in Plants

Plants can reproduce asexually through a process called
vegetative propagation. An entire new plant can grow out of a
portion of the plant. For example, if you removed a part of the
stem and leaf and put it in water, it would form roots and grow to
be an adult plant. It would be an exact genetic copy of its
parents. Have you ever noticed the “eyes” of potatoes? The eyes
are actually buds that sprout new leafy branches. This is an The sprouting buds of this
example of asexual reproduction. If you planted the sprouting red potato are an example
parts, they would eventually grow into adult potato plants. of vegetative propagation.

Bacteria, fungi and plants are not the only organisms that reproduce asexually. In some animals,
like fish, reptiles, and amphibians, an unfertilized egg can develop into a full-grown adult. This
offspring would only have a copy of the female’s DNA. For example, in some insects called aphids,
asexual reproduction can occur when an unfertilized egg develops inside the female. Once the egg
has fully developed, the female gives birth to a genetically identical offspring!

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 Reproduction in Plants and Animals

Increasing the Odds of Reproductive Success

Animals engage in characteristic behaviors that increase the

odds of reproduction. Animals and plants develop
characteristic structures and behaviors to help them survive in
their environment and pass on genetic information to their
offspring. It is important that the offspring be cared for and
protected so they can grow to adulthood and reproduce. The
continuation of a species depends on successful reproduction
of offspring that will extend the generations of that plant or
animal.
Nest building, herding young into the middle of a
pack, sharing care, and changing shelter location to
avoid predators are examples of animal behavior that
lead to better chances of survival and reproductive
success for their offspring. Many birds build nests for
their young, but some do not. Different species of
birds build different types of nests. Some nests are
high up in trees and others are on the ground. Some
birds build floating nests in marshes and bayous. The
purpose of the bird nest is to have a protected, warm
place to lay the eggs. The nest also provides a place
where birds can incubate the eggs and raise their
young once they hatch.

Large animals such as elephants and wildebeests move their young into the middle of the herd at
any sign of predators. This defensive tactic allows the older and larger adults to protect the young
animals. Elephants also live in a matriarchal group where the mother elephants group together to
help each other care for their young.

Cheetahs, in contrast, raise their young alone. A

mother cheetah will move her offspring every 4
or 5 days to prevent a build-up of odors that
could lead predators to her den. After 18
months of teaching her young how to hunt, the
siblings form their own living and hunting group.

Unique mating behavior (like croaking or singing,

extending tail feathers, or giving pebbles) and mating
features (colorful male bird feathers, colored chest sacs,
or large cheek pads) in animals attract prospective
partners to complete the reproductive cycle.

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 Reproduction in Plants and Animals

What Do You Know?

Use what you know about asexual and sexual reproduction to sort the following terms into the
correct column. If the term is related to asexual reproduction, write it in the column on the left. If the
term is related to sexual reproduction, write it in the column on the right. If the term is related to
both types of reproduction, write it in both columns.

Terms: DNA, male and female, one parent, unique, spores, uniform, traits, egg and sperm.

Asexual reproduction Sexual reproduction

Look at the picture of a flowering plant. Identify which parts are male structures and which are
female structures.

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 Reproduction in Plants and Animals

Asexual Reproduction in Plants

To help your child learn more about asexual reproduction, test the vegetative propagation
capabilities of a household plant. Choose a common household plant such as the spider plant
(scientific name: Chlorophytum comosum). Try vegetative propagation using several different parts
of the plant, such as a piece of stem, a piece of root, a leaf (with no stem), an leaf with some stem,
and the tip of a leaf.

Place a toothpick on either side of your plant part (or in the case of the leaf, put the toothpick right
through it). Then place the plant part in a cup of water and position the toothpick so a portion of the
plant part is not totally submerged and that it has access to light and air. Change the water every
few days to prevent it from getting stagnant. Observe how long it takes the plant to start growing,
and note if the plant part does not grow at all. You and your child could also try planting the plant
parts in some potting soil to see if that changes your results. You can also try this with a potato that
has sprouted or with an avocado pit.

Here are some questions to discuss with students:

• Which parts of the plant successfully formed new plants?
• How does the DNA in the new plants compare to the DNA of the parent plant?
• Why might this strategy be an advantage for plants in the wild?
• How might gardeners use this method to populate their gardens?