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asexual reproduction

asexual reproduction

1 4.6
A way of making new living things from one parent without sex that makes identical copies
  • noun
  • /ˌeɪsɛkʃuəl ˌriːprəˈdʌkʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : reproducción asexual
  • Most aquatic plants are not troublesome but possess mechanisms for asexual reproduction similar to those of their weedy counterparts.
  • asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction
  • cytoplasmic inheritance in asexual reproduction
  • inheritance in asexual reproduction

Examples

  • Many plants in the garden utilize asexual reproduction to create genetically identical offspring.

  • Asexual reproduction is important in the establishment, growth, and maintenance of aquatic plant populations.

    Academic text (1996)
  • GRAPH: Figure 1. Asexual reproduction in aquatic plants occurs rapidly.

    Academic text (1996)
  • What is the balance between sexual and asexual reproduction in aquatic angiosperms?

    Academic text (1996)
  • Vivipary in Amphibolis suggests a compromise between sexual and asexual reproduction.

    Academic text (1996)
  • In particular, asexual reproduction, which prevents genetic recombination, is relatively common in flowering plants (Briggs and Walters 1997).

    Academic text (2000)
  • Therefore, widespread asexual reproduction in aquatic plants may have evolved as a means of maintaining genetic uniformity within populations (Les 1988a).

    Academic text (1996)
  • Many plants in a clump are clones, the products of asexual reproduction—suggesting that just a few seeds colonize each patch.

    Academic text (2002)
  • Asexual reproduction allows some species of plants to thrive in environments where asexual reproduction may be difficult.

  • The asexual reproduction of the hydra involves budding, where new individuals are formed from the parent's body.

Synonyms

fission
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
1 6.3

One single cell splits into two similar cells

is one mechanical way reproduction occurs without gamete fusion
parthenogenesis
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
1 9.9

An egg grows into a new animal or plant without being fertilized

is broader, covering any reproduction without gamete fusion not only eggs
agamogenesis
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
9.9

Reproduction that happens without sex cells joining in some plants and animals

is the general term covering all reproduction without gamete fusion
parthenogeny
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
9.9

A way an egg grows into a new animal or plant without being fertilized

is the wider category that includes this egg-only process
gynogenesis
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
9.9

A way an egg develops into a baby without genes from the father

is different in that it still needs sperm contact though no fusion occurs
apomixis
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
9.9

A way some plants make seeds without fertilization, for example dandelions

is a plant-focused example of reproduction without gamete fusion
gemmation
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
9.9

A way some simple animals or plants make a new living thing by growing a small bud

is a specific budding method of reproduction without gamete fusion
blastogenesis
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
9.9

A way animals or simple organisms make new ones by growing a small bud that becomes separate

is one particular non-fusion reproductive process within the general class
monogenesis
vsasexual reproduction
  • Specialized
9.9

A way of making new living things without sex by producing and releasing spores

is another specific mechanism under the general non-fusion reproduction category

Antonyms

sexual reproduction
  • Specialized
3 3.4

A way plants and animals make seeds or babies when male and female cells join

Surface Forms

Morphology

asexual + reproduction

The meaning is directly compositional: 'asexual' (without sexual activity) modifies 'reproduction' (the process of creating new individuals), so a learner who knows both constituents can infer reproduction that occurs without sex. The concept and word-formation are transparent and have clear cross-linguistic equivalents, making the overall MWE predictable for B1 learners.

Etymology

Asexual reproduction is a simple picture: asexual means 'without sex' and reproduction means making new living things. Imagine a plant sending out a runner or a bacterium splitting like a photocopy — you get an almost exact 'copy' of the parent, so the term means 'reproduction without sex'.