Question

Explain what you understand about sexual reproduction.

Answer 1

Sexual reproduction is the process of creating a new individual with the association or fusion of genetic material from two different individuals having different sexes. Both individuals contribute half genetic material for the new individual which will add on to make full genetic information which is required for the production of healthy individuals.

Complete answer:
Reproduction is required for the production of new individuals for the continuous enhancement of the species. So, sexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction which involves two individuals of different sexes, which contribute their genetic material for the production of the new individual.
This genetic information is carried by chromosomes which are present in the nucleus of the special cells called sex cells or gametes. Male gamete is known as sperm and female gamete is called as ova or eggs. For sexual reproduction, these two male and female gametes join or fuse with each other to form a fertilized cell called zygote.
This zygote further divides through cell divisions and from new stages of embryo developmental stages like 2-cell stage, 4-cell stage and others. This leads to the formation of the new individual and the new individual has characters from both mother and father but it is not identical to the mother and father.

Note: Sexual reproduction differs from asexual reproduction in which, only one parent is involved. There is no fusion of gametes in asexual reproduction. Thus, the new individual is genetically identical to the parents and known as clones.