One parent or two
A potato eye is a small bud on a potato. It grows into a new plant. A seed also grows into a new plant. How do the new plants differ?
A set of instructions guides how a living thing grows.
Step 1 of 4
- One parent has a set of instructions.
- Its young have the same set.
- Two parents each have a set.
- Their young get a mix of both.
A plant from a potato eye matches its parent. A plant from a seed usually differs from its parents.
Reproduction makes new living things.
The rule
In asexual reproduction, one parent makes young that match it. In sexual reproduction, gametes from two parents join. The young get a mix, so they usually differ from both parents. A cutting is a piece cut from a plant.
- Asexual: a potato eye or a cutting can start a plant. This is vegetative propagation.
- Sexual: usually two parents. Each makes special cells called gametes. A gamete has half the parent's instructions.
Hydra is a small pond animal. In animals, eggs and sperm are the gametes.
| About | One parent (asexual) | Two parents (sexual) |
|---|---|---|
| Young | Match the parent | A mix, so they usually differ |
| Plant | Potato eye, ginger piece | Seed from a flower, often with two parent plants |
| Animal | Hydra: a bud breaks off | Most fish and frogs: eggs and sperm meet in water |
Predict first. Then compare the young.
Loading lab…