How do Organisms Reproduce? 4.
Can you think of reasons why more complex organisms
cannot give rise to new individuals through regeneration?
1. What is the significance of reproduction?
a. Complex organisms have several kinds of specialised organs
a. Reproduction increases the population of a species.
b. It plays an important role in evolution by transmitting and organ systems to do specific functions.
favourable variations from one generation to another b. They have less number of undifferentiated cells so the power
generation. of regeneration is limited and only restricted to certain cells.
c. It allows perpetuation (continuation) of species.
5. Why is variation beneficial to the species but not necessarily
2. What is the importance of DNA copying in reproduction?
for the individual?
a. DNA is the information source for making proteins and specific
a. A species includes a large number of individuals of the same
type of protein leads to a specific body design.
kind.
b. DNA copying is the basic event of reproduction through which
b. All the organisms of a species have the same body design
genetic information of the parents pass to the offspring.
and well adapted to a niche or place.
c. This helps in maintaining body design of the species.
c. If a variation arises in the individual, it may not be of much
d. Sometimes DNA copying also creates variation which is
benefit to it, even this variation may lead to the death of
useful for survival of species over time
the individual.
3. How will an organism be benefitted if it reproduces through d. If a population of reproducing organisms are present in a
spores? niche and the niche is drastically altered, the population
a. Large number of spores are produced in one sporangium. may be wiped out completely.
b. Spores are small and light, thus are widely dispersed by wind e. For example, if there were a population of bacteria living in
to avoid competition at one place. temperate waters, and if the water temperature increases
b. Spores are covered by thick walls which protect them from
suddenly, most of these bacteria would die.
adverse conditions.
f. But the few variants resistant to heat would survive and
c. When the spores fall on suitable substratum (moist face)
grow further.
they germinate to produce a large number of new
1 g. Thus, variations are beneficial for the survival of species but
individuals.
not necessarily for the individual.
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6. Why is vegetative propagation practiced for growing some 9. Describe human male and female reproductive systems with
types of plants? diagrams.
a. Vegetative propagation is used for growing certain plants like Male reproductive system: It consists of testes, vas deferens,
banana, orange which do not produce viable seeds. urethra, penis and glands like prostate and seminal vesicles.
b. It is used for growing plants bearing superior traits as they a. A pair of testes are located outside the abdominal cavity in
produce genetically similar plants. scrotum because sperm formation requires a lower
c. It is a rapid, cheap and easier method to grow crops. temperature than the normal body temperature.
b. Testes secretes sperm and a hormone, testosterone which
7. What is pollination? brings about changes in appearance seen in boys at the time
Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to of puberty.
the stigma of a flower. c. Sperms formed are delivered through the vas deferens
Self pollination: It is the transfer of pollen grains from the which unites with a tube coming from the urinary bladder.
anther to the stigma of the same flower or another flower of d. Urethra forms a common passage for both the
the same plant. sperms and urine.
Cross pollination: It is the transfer of pollen grains from the e. Urethra carries sperms outside the body through penis.
anther of one flower to the stigma of another flower of a f. Along the path of the vas deferens, glands like prostate and
different plant of the same species. seminal vesicles add their secretions which makes sperm
transport easier and provides nutrition.
8. What are the advantages of sexual reproduction over asexual g. Sperms are tiny bodies that consists mainly genetic material
reproduction? and a long tail that helps them move towards the female
Sexual reproduction has the following advantages over asexual germ cell.
reproduction; Female reproductive system: It consists of ovaries, fallopian
[Link] offspring has the characteristics of both the parents. tubes or oviducts, uterus, cervix and vagina.
[Link] survival of the species is ensured as there are more a. A pair of ovaries are found in the abdominal cavity which
variations. produces egg or ovum and a hormone, oestrogen.
b. One egg is produced every month by one of the ovaries.
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c. The egg is carried from the ovary to the womb through 13. How are the modes of reproduction different in 5
oviducts or fallopian tubes. unicellular and multicellular organisms?
d. The two oviducts unite into an elastic bag like structure a. Unicellular organisms reproduce generally by asexual mode
known as uterus. of reproduction like fission or budding, however some forms
e. The uterus opens into vagina through the cervix. exhibit primitive type of sexual reproduction.
10. How does embryo get nourishment inside the mother’s body? b. Multicellular organisms have complex body structure, made
up of tissue, organs and organ system. So, they reproduce
a. The embryo gets nutrition from the mother’s blood with the
generally, by sexual reproduction however some
help of a special tissue called placenta.
multicellular organisms reproduce through asexual method.
b. This is a disc which is embedded in the uterine wall.
c. It contains villi which provide a large surface area for glucose
14. What is fertilization?
and oxygen to pass from the mother to the embryo.
The fusion of male and female gametes is called fertilization.
e. The waste materials generated by the embryo are also
Zygote is formed as a result of fertilization.
removed through the placenta.
15. What are the different methods of contraception?
11. Name the sexually transmitted diseases.
a. Mechanical barrier: Devices like condom on penis or similar
Sexually transmitted diseases include bacterial and viral
covering worn in vagina are used as mechanical barriers so
infections. that the sperm does not reach the egg.
Bacterial infections : Gonorrhoea and syphilis b. Chemical method: Oral pills or hormonal pills are used
Viral infections : Warts and AIDS which act by changing the hormonal balance of the body so
that eggs are not released and fertilization cannot occur.
12. What is the significance of fertilization?
c. Surgical method: Vas deferens in males and fallopian tubes
Significance of fertilization:
in females can be blocked to prevent fertilization.
a. Fertilization restores the number of chromosomes.
In males this process is called vasectomy and in
b. It keeps the number of chromosomes constant in species.
females it is called tubectomy.
c. It brings two different lines of heredity together.
d. Intra Uterine Contraceptive Devices (IUCD's): Loop
d. It brings variation in the offsprings.
or Copper-T is placed in uterus to prevent pregnancy. 6
16. What could be the reasons for adopting contraceptive 18. Write a note on the parts of a flower.
methods? a. Sepals are usually green, leaf like parts in the outermost
Contraceptive methods are adopted to circle of a flower.
a. prevent unwanted pregnancies b. Petals are the colourful parts of a flower. The function of
b. control population petal is to attract insects for pollination and to protect
c. improve standard of living the reproductive organs.
d. have sufficient gap between successive birth of children c. Stamen is the male reproductive part of a flower. It has
e. prevent transfer of sexually transmitted diseases filament and anther. Anther has pollen grains.
d. Carpel or pistil is the female reproductive part of a
17. Enumerate the method of fertilization as seen in a flower. It has three parts.
flowering plant.
[Link] swollen bottom part is the ovary.
a. In plants, pollination is followed by fertilisation.
b. The pollen grains are deposited on the stigma and forms [Link] elongated part is the style.
tubes called pollen tubes. [Link] part which is sticky is the stigma.
c. One pollen tube grows through the style and reaches the
19. How does reproduction help in providing stability to
ovary, where ovules are located.
populations of species?
d. Inside the ovule, the pollen tube releases two male gametes
a. Reproduction enables an organism to give rise to young ones
into the embryo sac.
of its own kind. This helps in increasing the number of
e. The embryo sac of the ovule contains the egg.
organisms.
f. One male gamete fuses with the egg. This fusion is called
b. Stability of population is attained when the rate of birth is
syngamy.
approximately equal to rate of death.
g. The other male gamete fuses with the two polar nuclei. This
c. This also introduces new variations which enable the species
process is called triple fusion.
h. This mechanism of two fusions occurring in an embryo sac is to survive in adverse conditions.
called double fertilization. 20. What is germination?
i. After fertilization, ovary develops into the fruit and ovule Germination is the process by which a plant grows from a seed
into the seeds. 7 under appropriate conditions.
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21. Write a note on different modes of asexual reproduction. 4. Fragmentation: It is a type of asexual reproduction in which an
1. Binary Fission: It is a type of asexual reproduction in which organism simply breaks up into smaller fragments or pieces upon
parent cell splits into two daughter cells. Eg. Amoeba. maturation. These fragments or pieces grow into new
a. In this method, adult individual undergoes a simple division. individuals. [Link] (Filamentous algae).
b. Nucleus divides first (karyokinesis) followed by the division of 5. Regeneration: It is the ability of a fully differentiated organism
cytoplasm (cytokinesis) forming two daughter cells of equal size. to give rise to new individual organisms from the body parts.
a. Planaria can be cut into any number of pieces and each piece
2. Multiple Fission: It is a type of asexual reproduction in which
grows into a complete organism.
parent cell splits into many daughter cells. Eg. Plasmodium
b. This is carried out by a specialised cells.
a. In this method, nucleus of the parent cell undergoes repeated
c. These cells proliferate and from this mass of cells different
divisions to produce a number of daughter nuclei.
cells undergo changes to become various cell types and tissues,
b. Each nucleus is surrounded by a small amount of cytoplasm d. These changes take place in an organized sequence referred to
and thus many daughter cells are formed. as development.
c. Under favourable conditions, parent cell membrane ruptures
6. Spore formation: It is a method of asexual reproduction in
and daughter individuals are released.
which numerous spores are produced within sacs called
3. Budding: It is a type of asexual reproduction in which new sporangia each of which eventually develops into an organism.
individuals are produced from an outgrowth (bud) of parent a. Rhizopus has fine thread like structures called hyphae.
individual. b. It has tiny blob like structures called sporangia which contain
a. Organisms like hydra use regenerative cells for reproduction in spores.
the process of budding. c. Spores are covered by thick walls that protect them until they
come in contact with another moist surface and can begin to
b. A bud develops as an outgrowth due to repeated cell division
grow.
at one specific site.
c. These buds develop into tiny individuals and when fully 7. Vegetative propagation: It is a type of asexual reproduction in
mature, detach from the parent body and become new which vegetative parts of the plant like root, stem and
independent individuals. leaves develop into new plants under appropriate
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conditions.
Advantages: 23. How is the process of pollination different from fertilization?
a. Plants raised by this method can bear flowers and fruits earlier Pollination Fertilization
than those produced from seeds. Pollination is the transfer of Fertilization is the fusion of
b. Such methods also make possible the propagation of plants such pollen grains from the anther male and female gametes.
to the stigma of a flower.
as banana, orange and rose that have lost the capacity to produce
Pollination is followed by Fertilization occurs after
seeds.
fertilization. pollination.
c. All plants produced are genetically similar enough to the parent
It occurs with the help of It occurs inside the ovule and
plant to have all its characteristics.
agents like wind, water or leads to the formation of
Disadvantages: animals. zygote.
1. Vegetative propagation induces overcrowding.
24. If a woman is using copper – T, will it help in protecting her
2. There is no genetic variation. So there is less adaptability to the from sexually transmitted diseases?
environment. No, because copper-T will not prevent contact with body
3. The disease of the parent plant gets transferred to the offspring. fluids. Thus, it will not protect her from sexually transmitted
diseases.
22. How does binary fission differ from multiple fission? 25. Why does menstruation occur?
Binary fission Multiple fission a. Menstruation is a process in which the lining of the uterus
It is the division of parent into It is the division of parent into slowly breaks and comes out through the vagina as blood and
two nearly equal sized many small daughter cells. mucus.
b. In humans, after a girl attains puberty, ovaries start producing
daughter cells.
egg every month and also uterus lining gets thickened to
Nucleus of parent cell divides Nucleus of the parent cell
receive zygote.
to form two nuclei divides to form a number of
c. When the egg does not get fertilized, then the lining of the
nuclei.
uterus slowly breaks and comes out through the vagina as
Bacteria, Amoeba & Leishmania Plasmodium divides by multiple blood and mucus.
divide by binary fission. fission. d. This cycle takes place roughly every month and is known as
menstruation.
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