DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SEXUAL AND ASEXUAL

IN PLANT REPRODUCTION

TRAITS SEXUAL ASEXUAL

Usually involves two
unisexual parents(male
Parent and female) or One parent
hermaphrodites

Specialised reproductive
cells need to be formed.
That is male and female
Specialised reproductive
Gamete gametes unite to form a
cells are not formed.
zygote following
fertilization.

A special kind of cell

division that must take
place at some stage of
the life cycle of an
organism that reproduces There is no union of
sexually. Meiosis nucleus of the specialized
produces haploid (n) cells reproductive cells. Hence,
Meiosis that only have one half of meiosis did not take place
the normal diploid (2n) during the life cycle of
number of chromosomes. organisms that reproduce
This is to ensure that the asexually.
zygote formed as a result
of fertilization will have
the normal diploid
number of chromosomes.
Progeny Progeny will not be Progeny is genetically
 identical to the parents.
This is due to the
variations that occur
during the formation of
identical to its parent.
gametes
Except in situations where
(gametogenesis). Apart
mutations may have
from this the union of
taken place in the somatic
gametes from two
cells.
different parents will
produce variable
genotype in the progeny.

Occurs in many animals Usually happens in

Incidence and plants. plants, prokaryotes and
mosses.
Produces progeny that is
Process is faster and the
not identical to the
Advantage necessity for two parents
parents.
does not arise.