STD VIII CHAPTER -9

REPRODUCTION IN ANIMALS
INTEXT QUESTIONS
PAGE NUMBER 101

1. What purpose does the tail in a sperm serve?

Ans. Sperms move through a spinning motion rather than a swimming/wave motion. The tail of the sperm helps it to move.
This movement is called motility. The sperm (and tail) spin around their own axis and a middle axis.

PAGE NUMBER 103

2. Fish & frog lay eggs in hundreds whereas a hen lays only one egg at a time. Give reason. (CW)
Ans.
• Animals such as fish and frog that undergo external reproduction lay hundreds of eggs and release millions of sperms
• All the eggs do not fertilize and develop into new individuals.
• This is because the eggs and sperms get exposed to water movement, wind and rainfall. These factors prevent the
sperms from reaching the eggs because most of them get destroyed or the other animal in the water feed on them.
• Thus, production of large number of eggs and sperms is necessary to ensure fertilization of at least a few of them
giving birth to young ones.

PAGE NUMBER 104

3. How could a single cell become such a big individual?

Ans. The single cell formed after the combination of sperm and egg is called a zygote. It is the first cell of an individual
which undergoes cell division to give rise to a complete individual. Therefore, a single cell becomes an individual by
repeated mitotic cell division.

Important terms related to the Cell and Cell organelles (CW)

*The cell:
1. Cell-
Smallest structural and functional unit of living organisms which is typically microscopic is called cell. It consists of
nucleus and cytoplasm in which cell organelles are embedded. It is enclosed by a membrane. There are two types of cell:
a) Plant cell b) Animal cell.
2. Cell organelles-
The tiny cellular structures that perform specific functions within the cell are called as cell organelles. They are embedded
in the cell. They have their own membranes.
3. Nucleus-
The spherical structure which is generally present in the center of a cell and controls the activity of the cell is called as
nucleus. It contains chromosomes which are rod like structures that contain genes which transfers characters from parents
to the offspring.
4. Chromosome-
A thread like structure of nucleic acids and proteins found in most living cells, carrying genetic information in the form
of genes is called as chromosome.
5. Mitochondria - These are the power house of cells.

*Types of cells based on their function: to be written in CW.

Somatic cells – All the cells of our body except reproductive cells are somatic cells. In human somatic cells, there are 23
pairs of chromosomes or 46 chromosomes. (This is a diploid cell)
Germ cells or gametes – Cell that gives rise to the gametes of an organism that reproduces sexually are called as germ
cells. Reproductive cells produced in reproductive system contain 23 chromosomes (haploid cells). There are two types
of germ cells or gamete
a) Male gamete (sperm or spermatozoa)
b) Female gamete (egg/ovum)

a) Sperm cell consists of:

i) Acrosome - It is an organelle that develops at the anterior portion of the head in the sperm of many animals
including humans. It is a cap like structure derived from the Golgi apparatus. It helps the sperm to penetrate through the
egg’s protective coat.
ii) Centriole - It helps in the cell division.
iii) Mitochondria - It produces energy for motility of sperm cell.

b) Ovum cell consists of,

i) Zona Pellucida: It is a thick transparent membrane surrounding a mammalian ovum before transplantation. It
allows only one sperm to enter the ovum.
ii) Corona Radiata: It supplies proteins to the ovum and is protective in function. It protects egg and embryo during
development.

Draw well labelled diagram of a) structure of sperm cell (spermatozoa) b) egg cell (ovum). (CW)
Ans.

(a) STRUCTURE OF SPERM CELL OR SPERMATOZOA

 (b) STRUCTURE OF OVUM OR THE EGG CELL

Not to be written in CW.

*Fertilization- When sperms come in contact with an egg, one of the sperms may fuse with the egg. Such fusion of the
egg and the sperm are called fertilization.
Sperm + Ovum = Zygote
i) Zygote - The nuclei of the sperm and the egg fuse to form a single nucleus. The fertilized egg is called a zygote.
ii) Embryo - Zygote, during its development, divides repeatedly to form a ball of cells called as blastocyst. It then
begins to form a developing structure called as an embryo.
iii) Foetus - The stage of embryo in which all the body parts are identifiable in its developmental stage is called
foetus.

*Stages of development in humans after fertilization:

Zygote  Blastocyst  Embryo  Foetus  Neonate / newborn (infant)  Toddler Pre-schooler  Adolescent 
Adult.

*Types of Cell division:

There are two types of cell division Mitosis and Meiosis.
i) Mitosis is a fundamental process for life. During mitosis, a cell duplicates all of its contents including its
chromosomes and splits to form two identical daughter cells.
ii) Meiosis is the type of cell division that creates egg and sperm cells. It produces four daughter cells, each of which
are un-identical to the parent cell and to each other.

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EXERCISES

1. What is the importance of reproduction in organisms? (CW)

Ans. Reproduction is a biological process in which organisms give birth to their off springs.
a) It helps in maintaining the continuity of particular race and in increasing the population of the species.
b) Reproduction is meant for survival of all living beings.
2. Describe the process of fertilization in human beings. (CW)
Ans.
a) Fertilization is defined as the process in which there is a fusion of male gamete (sperm) and female gamete (egg)
to form a single nucleus.
b) The first step in the process of reproduction is the fusion of a sperm and an ovum. For this to happen, millions
of sperms from the male are transferred into the female body.
c) The sperms swim up to the oviduct with the help of their tails and reach the egg.
d) When sperms come in contact with the egg, one of the sperms may fuse with the egg. Such fusion of the egg and
the sperm is called Fertilization. During fertilization, the nuclei of the sperm and the egg fuse to form a single nucleus.
This results in the formation of the fertilized egg or zygote.

3. Choose the appropriate answer.

(a) Internal fertilization occurs:
(i) in female body (ii) outside female body (iii) in male body (iv) outside male body
Ans.(i) in female body
(b) A tadpole develops into an adult by the process of:
(i) fertilization (ii) metamorphosis (iii) embedding (iv) budding
Ans.(ii) Metamorphosis
(c) The number of nuclei present in a zygote is – (i ) none (ii) one (iii) two (iv) four
Ans. (i) One

4. Indicate whether the following statements are True (T) or False (F).
a) Oviparous animals give birth to young ones. (False)
Viviparous animals give birth to young ones, oviparous animals lay eggs.
b) Each sperm is a single cell. (True)
c) External fertilization takes place in frog. (True)
d) A new human individual develops from a cell called gamete. (False)
A new human individual develops from a combination of two gametes which is zygote.
e) Egg laid after fertilization is made up of a single cell. (True)
f) Amoeba reproduces by budding. (False) Amoeba reproduces by binary fission.
g) Fertilization is necessary even in asexual reproduction. (False)
In asexual reproduction, a single organism or cell makes copy of itself without fertilization.
h) Binary fission is a method of asexual reproduction. (True)
i) A zygote is formed as a result of fertilization. (True)
j) An embryo is made up of a single cell. (False)
Zygote, during its development, divides repeatedly to form ball of cells. The cells then form groups to form
tissues and organs. This structure is called embryo.

5. State the differences between a gamete, a zygote, an embryo and a foetus. (CW)
Ans.
Point of Gamete Zygote Embryo Foetus
differentiation
1. Cell It is single celled It is single celled. It is the initial stage It is multicellular.
Structure of multi-cellular
development
2. No of Half of the number Equal to the Equal to the number Equal to the number
chromosomes in autosomal cells number in in autosomal cells in autosomal cells
autosomal cells
 3. When is it Formed by meiotic Formed after fusion Formed from Formed from the
formed cell division to of two gametes differentiated embryo
produce germ / division of the
gamete cells zygote

4. Where Found in the sex Found in the Found in the uterus Found in the uterus.
are they found? organs or gonads Fallopian tubes implanted in the
(testes or ovary) (after fertilization) endometrium

5. Structure Sperm cell has a A zygote is a An embryo is the In foetus, well

head, mid piece fertilized egg, rapidly developing defined body parts
and tail (for where the egg and stage after a zygote are present.
motility) sperm fuse to form where structures are
a single cell. beginning that will
Egg cell is round support life outside
and is not motile. It the womb
is much larger than
the sperm cell and
moves from the
ovary to the
fallopian tubes.

6. Define asexual reproduction. Describe two methods of asexual reproduction in animals. (CW)
Ans. Asexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction that does not involve fusion of the male and the female gametes. It
requires only one parent, and the offsprings produced are exact copies of their parents.
Two methods of asexual reproduction in animals are:
A) Binary fission: It is a type of asexual reproduction in which a single cell divides into two halves, Organisms that
reproduce through binary fission are bacteria and Amoeba.
a) Amoeba begins the process of reproduction by the division of its nucleus into two nuclei.
b) This is followed by the division of its body into two halves (parts), Each half (part) of the body receives a nucleus.
c) Finally, two amoebae are produced from one parent amoeba.
This type of asexual reproduction in which an organism reproduces by dividing into two individuals is called binary
fission.

B) Budding: Budding involves the formation of a new individual from the bulges, known as buds formed on the
parent body, this method of reproduction is common in Hydra
a) In Hydra, the cells divide rapidly at a specific site and develop as an outgrowth, called the bud.
b) These buds, while being attached to the parent plant, develop into smaller individuals. When these individuals
become mature enough, they detach from the parent's body and become independent individuals.
This type of asexual reproduction in which new individuals develop from the buds is called budding.

BUDDING IN HYDRA

7. In which female reproductive organ does the embryo get embedded?

Ans. Embedding of the embryo takes place in the wall of the uterus.

8. What is metamorphosis? Give examples.

Ans. The drastic change which transforms larva into an adult is called metamorphosis. Frog, Silk worm, Honeybee are
some organisms in which metamorphosis occurs.

9. Differentiate between internal fertilization and external fertilization. (CW)

Ans.
Point of INTERNAL FERTILIZATION EXTERNAL FERTILIZATION
differentiation
1. 1. Process Internal fertilization refers to the fusion of Internal fertilization refers to the fusion of
gametes inside the female organism during gametes outside the female organism
sexual reproduction. during sexual reproduction.
2. 2. Where does it take It occurs inside the female organisms. It occurs outside the female organisms.
place?
3. Survival rate of It shows high survival rate of the embryo. It shows lower survival rate of the embryo
embryo and egg.
4. No of gametes In this type of fertilization, a smaller In this type of fertilization, large number of
produced. number of gametes are produced. gametes are produced.
5. Environmental This type of fertilization is successful in This type of fertilization is successful in
conditions normal - harsh environmental conditions. moistened environmental conditions.

10. Complete the cross-word puzzle using the hints given below.
Across
1) The process of the fusion of the gametes. Ans. Fertilization.
6) The type of fertilization in hen. Ans. Internal.
7) The term used for bulges observed on the sides of the body of hydra. Ans. Buds.
8) Eggs are produced here. Ans. Ovary.
Down
2) Sperms are produced in these male reproductive organs. Ans. Testes.
3) Another term for the fertilized eggs. Ans. Zygote.
4) These animals lay eggs. Ans. Oviparous.
5) A type of fission in amoeba Ans. Binary
EXTENDED LEARNING
PAGE NUMBER 111
1. VISIT A POULTRY FARM…….
a) What are the layers & broilers in a poultry farm?
Ans. Layers are hens which lay eggs. Broilers are the hens used to get meat.
b) Do hens lay unfertilized eggs?
Ans. Hens lay fertilized eggs. But in poultry farms, the unfertilized eggs are obtained by induced ovulation.
c) How can you obtain fertilized & unfertilized eggs?
Ans. Fertilized eggs are obtained by normal procedure while unfertilized eggs can be obtained by induced ovulation.
d) Are the eggs that we get in stores fertilized or unfertilized?
Ans. We get both types of eggs. Most eggs are not fertilized if a rooster is not involved.
e) Can you consume fertilized eggs?
Ans. Yes we can. But it is always better to check if the foetus has grown or not.
f) Is there any difference in the nutritional value of fertilized & unfertilized eggs?
Ans. There is no evidence to show that the fertilized eggs have more nutritional value than the unfertilized eggs. Both
types of eggs are high in protein.

PAGE NUMBER 112

2. Find out how twinning occurs. Why identical twins are always of the same sex?
Ans. Twinning occurs in two ways
a) Two ova are released during ovulation & fertilized by two different sperms.
These twins are called heterozygotic / fraternal twins. They can be of the same sex or different sexes eg: GG, BB,
BG and are not identical.
b) Single fertilized zygote undergoes fission giving rise to two foetuses. They originate from the same ovum and
sperm and are therefore identical or homozygotic. These twins are always of the same sex GG or BB.

ADDITIONAL QUESTIONS

1. Differentiate between oviparous & viviparous animals. (CW)

Ans.
Sr. Point of differentiation OVIPAROUS ANIMALS VIVIPAROUS ANIMALS
No.
1 Type of reproduction Oviparous animals are the animals Viviparous animals are the animals that
that lay eggs that develop and mature gives birth to developed live young
outside the female body. individuals.
2 Type of birth They lay either fertilized or They give birth to young individuals that
unfertilized eggs. develop from internally fertilized zygote.
3 Fertilization In these animals, eggs may undergo In these animals, eggs undergo internal
internal or external fertilization. fertilization.
4 Development of zygote In them, the development of the In them, the development of the zygote
zygote occurs outside the female. occurs inside the female.
5 Nutrients In these animals, embryo receives In these animals, embryo receives
nutrients from the yolk. nutrients from the mother.
6 Survival rate In these animals, the chance of In these animals, the chance of survival of
survival of the embryo is less. the embryo is more.
7 Examples Birds, reptiles, amphibians, most Example of viviparous animals include
fish, insects are examples of most mammals
oviparous animals.
2. Differentiate between Asexual & Sexual reproduction. (CW)
Ans.
Comparison Asexual Reproduction Sexual Reproduction

1) Meaning The process when living organisms give birth The process when living organisms give birth to
to their offspring, without the contribution oftheir offspring, with the input of another organism
the other organisms of the same category is of the same category and opposite gender is called
called asexual reproduction. as sexual
reproduction.
2) Number of In this type, only single organism is involved. In this type, two organisms such as male and female
organisms (uniparental) are involved. (bi-parental)
Involved
3) Occurrence This type of reproduction is occurred in lower This type of reproduction is occurred in higher
invertebrates, chordates and plants having plants and animals.
simple organizations.
4) Gametes No formation or fusion of gamete occurs. Gametes are always formed, and fusion also occurs.

5) Fertilization No fertilization. Fertilization takes place.

6) Offspring The number of offspring may vary from two to Some offspring produced are less in number
many. comparatively.
7) Genetic The offspring are genetically similar. The offspring produced are genetically
characters different from their parents.
8) Time taken Asexual reproduction is completed in a very Sexual reproduction can take several months to
short period of time. complete.

9) Evolutionary No significance. It has evolutionary significance.

Significance Since there is no genetic variation, it does not Since there are genetic variations, it contributes to
contribute to evolution of the species. the evolution of the species.
10) Type of Cell It involves only mitosis It involves both mitosis and meiosis.
Division

3. Answer the following questions–

1. What are test tube babies? (CW)
Ans.
a) This is one of the artificial or assisted technique of reproduction, for those females, whose oviducts are blocked
or to those females who cannot provide suitable conditions for the development of the embryo.
b) These women are unable to conceive babies because sperms cannot reach the egg for fertilization.
c) In such cases, doctors collect freshly released egg from the female & sperms from the male & keep them together
for a few hours for IVF (in vitro fertilization - fertilization outside the body; vitro meaning glass).
d) After fertilization, the zygote is allowed to develop for about a week & then it is placed in the mother’s uterus
(womb).
e) Complete development takes place in the uterus & the baby is born like any other baby.
f) Babies born through this technique are called test tube babies.
g) The first test tube baby born in India was Kanupriya Agarwal in 1978.
2. What is cloning? Describe the process of cloning in dolly sheep briefly (CW)
Ans.
a. Cloning is the production of an exact copy of a cell, any other living part or a complete organism.
b. The animals which are genetically identical to the parent are called clones.
c. In this technique, the nucleus of an egg cell of one individual (haploid allosomal nucleus) is removed through a
process called de-nucleation.
d. In its place the nucleus from an adult cell (diploid autosomal nucleus) from another individual of same species
is reintroduced in a process called e-nucleation.
e. This enucleated cell is then stimulated to divide by an electric shock till it reaches a blastocyst-morula stage.
f. Once it reaches a suitable stage, it is transferred to the uterus of a surrogate female host where it continues to
develop until birth.
g. Cloning in mammals was successfully done for the first time in Scotland. They successfully cloned a sheep
named Dolly.
h. The nucleus used as a donor for the cloning of Dolly was taken from the udder (mammary gland) of a female
Finn Dorsett sheep while the cell it was introduced into was obtained from a Scottish blackface ewe.
Diagrams (Only for labelling)

FEMALE REPRODUCTIVE SYSTEM