Sexual reproduction is a biological process where offspring are produced through the combination of genetic material from two individuals, typically of different sexes. This involves the fusion of specialized reproductive cells called gametes—male gametes (sperm) and female gametes (eggs)—each containing a single set of chromosomes (haploid). When these gametes unite during fertilization, they form a zygote with two sets of chromosomes (diploid), which then develops into a new organism
. Key features of sexual reproduction include:
- It usually requires two parents, though some organisms (hermaphrodites) can produce both types of gametes
- The offspring inherit genetic material from both parents, resulting in genetic variation among siblings and from the parents
- The process involves meiosis, a special type of cell division that reduces chromosome numbers by half to produce haploid gametes, maintaining chromosome number across generations
- Sexual reproduction is common in multicellular eukaryotes such as animals, plants, and fungi, and also occurs in some unicellular eukaryotes, but not in prokaryotes like bacteria
- It promotes genetic diversity, which can be advantageous for adaptation and evolution in changing environments
In summary, sexual reproduction is the process by which two haploid gametes from two parents combine to form a genetically unique diploid offspring, contributing to genetic diversity and the continuation of species
