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CLASS: X (2023- 24)

SUBJECT: BIOLOGY
CHAPTER 7: HOW DO ORGANISMS REPRODUCE?
Q.1 What is reproduction?
Ans: Reproduction is the biological process by which new organisms
– "offspring" – are produced from their parent or parents.
Q.2. What is the basic event in reproduction? How do organisms
develop altered body designs?
Or
What is the importance of DNA copying in reproduction?
Ans:
• • Organisms look similar because their body designs are similar.
If body designs are to be similar, the blueprints for these designs
should be similar.
• • Reproduction at its most basic level involves making copies of
the blueprints of body design.
• • DNA (Deoxyribo Nucleic Acid) in the cell nucleus is the
information source for making proteins. If the information is changed,
different proteins will be made. Different proteins will eventually lead
to altered body designs. Therefore, a basic event in reproduction is the
creation of a DNA copy.
• • Cells use chemical reactions to build copies of their DNA.
This creates two copies of the DNA in a reproducing cell, and they
need to be separated from each other.
• • DNA copying is accompanied by the creation of an additional
cellular apparatus, and then the DNA copies separate, each with its
own cellular apparatus.
• • The process of copying the DNA will have some variations
each time. As a result, the DNA copies generated will be similar, but
may not be identical to the original. Some of these variations might be
so drastic that the new DNA copy cannot work with the cellular
apparatus it inherits. Such a new born cell will simply die. On the
other hand, there could still be many other variations in the DNA
copies that would not lead to such a drastic outcome. Thus, the
surviving cells are similar to, but subtly different from each other.
This inbuilt tendency for variation during reproduction is the basis for
evolution.

Q3. Why is variation beneficial to the species but not necessarily

for the individual?
Ans: The consistency of DNA copying during reproduction is
important for the maintenance of body design features that allow the
organism to use a particular niche. Reproduction is therefore linked to
the stability of populations of species. However, niches can change
because of reasons beyond the control of the organisms. Temperatures
on earth can go up or down, water levels can vary, or there could be
meteorite hits etc. If a population of reproducing organisms were
suited to a particular niche and if the niche were drastically altered,
the population could be wiped out. However, if some variations were
to be present in a few individuals in these populations, there would be
some chance for them to survive.
Thus, if there were a population of bacteria living in temperate waters,
and if the water temperature were to be increased by global warming,
most of these bacteria would die, but the few variants resistant to heat
would survive and grow further. Variation is thus useful for the
survival of species over time.
Q 4. Explain how unicellular organisms are different from
multicellular organisms on the basis of method of reproduction. 2
Ans: Unicellular organisms reproduce by asexual means. Asexual
mode of reproduction involves single parent to produce their
offspring. Asexual modes of reproduction includes binary fission,
multiple fission, budding etc.
Multicellular organisms can choose both asexual and sexual modes
to produce their offspring depending on the level of development.
Sexual reproduction involves two organisms, the male and female.
Sexual reproduction involves the union of two opposite sex cells by
the process of fertilization to give rise to zygote .
Q.5 Explain various modes of reproduction used by single celled
organisms.
Ans:
(i). Fission:
• (a) Binary fission:
• • Many bacteria and protozoa simply split into two equal halves
during cell division.
• • In organisms such as Amoeba, the splitting of the two cells
during division can take place in any plane (draw fig 7.1 a)

• • Some unicellular organisms show more organisation of their

bodies, such as is seen in Leishmania (which cause kala-azar), which
have a whip-like structure at one end of the cell. In such organisms,
binary fission occurs in a definite orientation in relation to these
structures.

( Refer Figure 7.1 b)

• (b) Multiple fission:

Some single-celled organisms, such as the malarial parasite,

Plasmodium, divide into many daughter cells simultaneously by
multiple fission. (Refer Figure 8.2 Multiple fission in Plasmodium)
(ii). Fragmentation:
• • Spirogyra simply breaks up into smaller pieces upon
maturation. These pieces or fragments grow into new individuals.

• • Fragmentation is not true for all multi-cellular organisms.

(iii). Regeneration:
• • Many fully differentiated organisms have the ability to give
rise to new individual organisms from their body parts. That is, if the
individual is cut or broken up into many pieces, many of these pieces
grow into separate individuals.
• • For example, Hydra and Planaria.
• • Regeneration is carried out by specialised cells.
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(refer Figure 8.3 Regeneration in Planaria)
(iv).Budding:
• • In Hydra, a bud develops as an outgrowth due to repeated cell
division at one specific site .These buds develop into tiny individuals
and when fully mature, detach from the parent body and become new
independent individuals. (refer Figure 7.4 Budding in Hydra)
• • Yeast, can put out small buds that separate and grow further.

(v). Vegetative propagation

• • Vegetative propagation is a method of asexual reproduction in
which under appropriate conditions the plant parts other than seeds
are used as propagules.
• • There are many plants in which parts like the root, stem and
leaves develop into new plants under appropriate conditions.( refer
Figure 8.5 Leaf of Bryophyllum with buds)
• • This property of vegetative propagation is used in methods
such as layering or grafting to grow many plants like sugarcane, roses,
or grapes.

Advantages of vegetative propagation

i i. Plants raised by vegetative propagation can bear flowers and
fruits earlier than those produced from seeds.
ii ii. Such methods also make possible the propagation of plants
such as banana, orange, rose and jasmine that have lost the capacity to
produce seeds.
iii iii. All plants produced are genetically similar enough to the
parent plant to have all its characteristics.

(vi). Tissue culture

In tissue culture, new plants are grown by removing tissue or
separating cells from the growing tip of a plant. The cells are then
placed in an artificial medium where they divide rapidly to form a
small group of cells or callus. The callus is transferred to another
medium containing hormones for growth and differentiation. The
plantlets are then placed in the soil so that they can grow into mature
plants.
Advantages of tissue culture:
i i. Using tissue culture, many plants can be grown from one
parent in disease-free conditions. This technique is commonly used
for ornamental plants.
ii ii. The new plantlets can be grown in a short amount of time.
iii iii. The process is not dependant on the seasons and can be done
throughout the year.

(vii) . Spore formation:

• • The thread-like structures are the hyphae of the bread mould
(Rhizopus). They are not reproductive parts.
• • The tiny blob-on-a-stick structures are involved in
reproduction. The blobs are sporangia, which contain cells, or spores,
that can eventually develop into new Rhizopus individuals.

Advantages of spore formation:

• • The spores are covered by thick walls that protect them until
they come into contact with another moist surface and can begin to
grow.
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Q6. How does reproduction help in providing stability to
populations of species?
Ans. Reproduction is the process of existing species creating
offspring of the same species. It is the process by which organisms
increase their populations.This is done to ensure that the population of
that species is maintained . The pace of births and deaths is kept under
control to ensure stability.
Q7. What are the advantages of sexual reproduction over asexual
reproduction?
Ans. In asexual reproduction, the offspring is almost identical to the
parent because they have the same genes as their parent. Thus, no or
little variations occur so there is less adaptability in the offspring.
Sexual reproduction involves fusion of male and female gametes.
The offspring exhibits diversity of characters because they receive
some genes from the mother and some from the father. The mixing of
genes in different combinations; results in genetic variations. These
variations lead to the evolution of species.
Q8. How is the amount of DNA maintained in each generation?
Ans. Multi-cellular organisms have special lineages of cells in
specialised organs in which only half the number of chromosomes
and half the amount of DNA as compared to the non reproductive
body cells. This is achieved by a process of cell division called
meiosis. Thus, when these germ-cells from two individuals combine
during sexual reproduction to form a new individual, it results in
reestablishment of the number of chromosomes and the DNA content
in the new generation.
Q.9. Differentiate between Male gamete
male and female gamete.
Female gamete.
This germ-cell is large. Male germ-cell is smaller.
It contains reserve food- Does not contain reserve food
stores. material.
Female germ-cell is usually It is most likely to be motile.
non motile.