Practise Pros and cons of sexual and asexual reproduction. 12 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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Some organisms reproduce sexually, some reproduce asexually and some can reproduce in both ways. Give one advantage of sexual reproduction.
It produces variation in the offspring
Give one advantage of asexual reproduction when conditions are favourable and stable.
It allows an organism to reproduce rapidly, without needing to find a mate
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy5 marks
Some organisms reproduce sexually, some reproduce asexually and some can reproduce in both ways.
(a) Which two are advantages of asexual reproduction? Tick (✓) two boxes.[2]
It involves meiosis
It is faster than sexual reproduction
It needs a mate
Offspring show variation
Only one parent is needed
(b) Give one advantage of sexual reproduction.[1]
(c) Daffodils can reproduce asexually by bulb division. Name a plant that reproduces asexually using runners.[1]
(d) Which organism reproduces asexually in the human host but sexually in the mosquito? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
HIV
Malarial parasite
Rose black spot fungus
Salmonella bacterium
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: It is faster than sexual reproduction; Only one parent is needed
(b)Answer: It produces variation in the offspring
produces variation (in the offspring)
(c)Answer: Strawberry
strawberry
(d)Answer: Malarial parasite
Question 2Medium7 marks
A fruit grower has a strawberry plant that produces very large, sweet fruit. Strawberry plants reproduce sexually by seeds and asexually by runners.
(a) Explain why the grower produces new plants from runners rather than from seeds.[3]
(b) Give one disadvantage of growing a whole field of strawberries that were all produced from runners of one plant.[2]
(c) Plant breeders use sexual reproduction when they want to produce new varieties of strawberry. Explain why.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Runners are produced asexually, so the new plants are clones with the same large, sweet fruit; plants from seeds show variation and may not have these characteristics; runners are also quicker
runners are produced by asexual reproduction / mitosis, so the new plants are genetically identical (clones)
so all the new plants will produce large, sweet fruit
plants from seeds show variation (so may not have the desired characteristics)
producing plants from runners is faster
(b)Answer: There is no variation, so if a disease or change in the environment affects one plant it will affect them all
no (genetic) variation
(so) all could be killed by the same disease / all affected if the environment changes
(c)Answer: Sexual reproduction produces variation, so offspring with new combinations of characteristics can be selected and bred
sexual reproduction produces variation / new combinations of alleles
(so) offspring with the desired characteristics can be selected (and bred)
Question 3Hard6 marks
Some plant species that live in very stable habitats, where conditions hardly change from year to year, reproduce mainly asexually. Closely related species that live in habitats where conditions often change reproduce mainly sexually.
(a) Suggest why asexual reproduction is more successful for the species in stable habitats.[2]
(b) Suggest why the species in changing habitats benefit from reproducing sexually.[2]
(c) Predict what might happen to a population of one of the asexual species if its habitat suddenly began to change, for example because of a new disease. Explain your prediction.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: The habitat is stable, so offspring genetically identical to a well-adapted parent are also likely to be well suited to it, and asexual reproduction is faster and needs no mate
the habitat is stable / unchanging, so offspring genetically identical to a well-adapted parent are also likely to be well suited to it
asexual reproduction is faster / needs no mate to be found
(b)Answer: Their habitats change often, so producing genetically varied offspring gives a better chance that some will be suited to the new conditions
the habitat is variable / changes often
so producing genetically varied offspring gives a better chance that some offspring are suited to the new conditions (natural selection)
(c)Answer: Because the population has little genetic variation, a new disease could affect most individuals in the same way, risking a large population decline, since few individuals are likely to have alleles giving resistance
the population has little genetic variation (mostly clones)
so a new disease / changed conditions could affect most individuals in the same way, risking a large population decline, since few are likely to have resistant / suitable alleles