Question

Why is reproduction not considered as a fundamental life process?

Answer 1

The term reproduction refers to the act of reproducing. It is a biological process in which an organism reproduces offspring who are biologically identical to the organism. Reproduction enables and ensures species continuity generation after generation. It is the most important aspect of life on Earth.

Complete answer:
A cell is composed of cell organelles, which are composed of molecules. These molecules break down during various biological processes and must be replaced with new molecules. The replacement of broken molecules is required to sustain life in an organism. When the replacement of broken molecules with new molecules stops, life in an organism ceases to exist.

All of the processes required to sustain life in an organism are referred to as life processes. The various life processes are nutrition, respiration, transportation, and excretion. Reproduction is not regarded as a life process because it is not required to sustain life. Although reproduction is required to maintain an organism's lineage, an individual organism can live even without reproduction.

Reproduction is a feature or characteristic shared by all living organisms. This is an important life process that not only aids in survival but also in the perpetuation of that race and group's immortality, as through reproduction. Reproduction also contributes to the species' population growth. All of the processes required to sustain life in an organism are referred to as life processes. Reproduction is not regarded as a life process because it is not required to sustain life.

Note: There are two ways to reproduce:
1. Asexual Reproduction: This method produces offspring from a single parent. It can happen with or without gametes being produced. It results in the creation of a clone, which is an exact copy of the parent. It can happen through various mechanisms such as binary fission, budding, conjugation, spore formation, and so on.

2. Sexual Reproduction: This method involves the fusion of male and female gametes produced by the same or different individuals to form a zygote (embryo). The offspring are not genetically identical to their parents.