Sexual reproduction

Sexual reproduction is a process of reproduction involving the merging of two gametes from the same species to produce a new organism. One advantage of this form of reproduction over asexual reproduction is that the DNA of the offspring is significantly different from that of the two gametes; this allows species to change more rapidly than through mutation alone. The DNA is different because each contributing organism randomly and independently donates half of their DNA to the sex cells in a process called meiosis. These cells then, through a variety of processes, depending on the particular species, meet and merge together to produce a new organism with different DNA.

Related Topics:
Reproduction - Gametes - Asexual reproduction - DNA - Independently - Meiosis

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Sexual reproduction is the primary method of reproduction for the vast majority of visible organisms, including almost all animals and plants, though the process is often significantly different, especially for plants and trees.

Related Topics:
Animal - Plant

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Bacterial conjugation, the transfer of DNA between two bacteria, is often mistakenly confused with sexual reproduction, because the mechanics are similar.

Related Topics:
Bacterial conjugation - DNA - Bacteria

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The first fossilized evidence of sexually reproducing organisms is from eucaryotes of the Stenian period, about 1.2 to 1 billion years before the present time.

Related Topics:
Fossil - Organism - Eucaryote - Stenian

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