What is asexual reproduction?
• Formation of new organisms without fusion of gametes
• Occurs with only one parent
• Parts of organism develop into new individual

Advantages of asexual reproduction
• Retention of useful characteristics/genes/traits
• Offspring establish faster/shorter life cycle
• Better chances of survival because of suitable environment

Disadvantages of asexual reproduction
• Lack of genetic variation
• Lowered resistance to disease
• Loss of hybrid vigor
• Competition for resources due to overcrowding

Types of asexual reproduction
1.Sporulation
• Formation of spores
• Spores are small haploid cells produced by plants
• Spores give rise to new haploid organisms
• Includes moulds, ferns, bryophytes, pteridophytes

2.Budding
• Where an outgrowth arises from a parent and drops off to develop into a new organisms
• Hereditary material in the daughter cell and parent are exactly the same
• Occurs in organisms such as hydra, jelly fish, sea anemones, yeast and some fungi.



3.Binary fission
• A cell splits into two new cells of equal size
• Each daughter cell grows into anew organism
• Occurs in organisms such as amoeba, euglena, paramecium, some fungi and bacteria.