Question

Why do organisms reproducing sexually show high diversity?

Answer 1

Variations: The variations are the differences in the characteristics or the traits of individuals of the same species.

Sexual reproduction:

• Sexual reproduction involves the fusion of two gametes, one from each parent.
• The gametes fuse to form a new individual in this.

Reasons why sexually reproducing organisms have a high diversity:

• The meiosis that forms the gametes in the sexually reproducing organisms can rearrange the genes of the parents. Therefore, the child inherits (receives) the genetic content of the parents but this gets changed during the gamete formation (meiosis) or has variations.
• This is the reason that all human beings carry variations and is considered unique. The chances of such variations in the asexually reproducing organisms are lesser.
• In the asexually reproducing organisms like bacteria, there is no meiosis, therefore, their genes are not reshuffled like sexually reproducing organisms such as humans. The bacterium reproduces to produce an identical bacterium.
• The possible mechanism through which the daughter cell of the bacterium can have variations is through the errors that can occur during the copying of the DNA. The environment is another factor that causes variations in both asexually and sexually reproducing organisms.