CLASS –X BIOLOGY

CHAPTER – HOW DO ORGANISMS REPRODUCE?

Q1.What is the importance of DNA copying during reproduction?

Ans. DNA copying/ DNA replication is an important & basic event in reproduction. DNA
copying or replication creates blueprint of body design & thus helps in transfer of
characteristics from parents to offspring & therefore maintain body design in the offspring.

DNA copying is also accompanied by the creation of an additional cellular apparatus. DNA
copies then separate, each with its own cellular apparatus. Effectively, a cell divides to give
rise to two cells.

Q2. Why is variation beneficial to a species but not necessarily for the individual?
Give example.

Ans. Variation is useful for the survival of the species over time in adverse/unfavourable
conditions. Example:-If there were a population of bacteria living in temperate water, & if
the water temperature increased by global warming, most of these bacteria would die, but
few variants in the population of bacteria which were resistant to heat would survive & grow
further & thus species would continue to survive.

Q3. How does reproduction help in providing stability to the populations of species?

Ans. DNA copying during reproduction is important for maintenance of body design that
allows organisms to use their niche (place of living). By reproduction new individuals are
produced, which replace naturally dying individuals. Reproduction also brings about some
variations in the individuals of species which enable them to survive in adverse conditions.
All this help in providing stability to the population of species.

Q4. What are the advantages of sexual reproduction over asexual reproduction?

Advantage of sexual reproduction -It combines DNA from two individuals which results in
more variation. These variations help in survival of species in adverse conditions &
also form the basis of evolution.

In asexual reproduction DNA of only one individual is copied resulting in less variations.
(DNA copying mechanism may have some variations, as no biochemical reaction is
absolutely reliable).

Q5. Name various methods of asexual reproduction. Briefly explain them with
examples.

Ans. Various methods of asexual reproduction:

1) Fission- Common method of asexual reproduction in unicellular organisms like

Amoeba, Paramecium etc. In fission, a unicellular organism splits into two or more
daughter cells.
 Two types of fission are binary fission and multiple fission.

BINARY FISSION MULTIPLE FISSION

Parent organism splits into two small, Parent organism splits into many
identical daughter cells. daughter cells simultaneously.

Occurs when environmental conditions are Occurs when environmental

favourable. conditions are unfavourable.

Nucleus divides only once Nucleus divides several times

Eg- Amoeba(any plane of division), Eg Plasmodium(malarial parasite)

Paramecium(transverse plane of division),
Leishmania( longitudinal plane of division)

Binary fission in Amoeba

Also draw fig 8.1(b) binary fission in Leishmania Pg. 129 NCERT book

2) Budding- Formation of new individual from a small projection /outgrowth called bud
arising from parent’s body, bud grows and when mature, detaches from parent body and
become a new independent individual. This method is called budding. Occurs in Yeast,
Hydra.
Draw fig.8.4 Budding in Hydra Pg. 131 NCERT book

3) Fragmentation- Some multicellular organisms having simple organization eg. Algae

Spirogyra reproduce by breaking of their bodies into small pieces/ fragments at maturity,
which grow into new individuals.

4)Regeneration- Ability of some fully differentiated organisms to give rise to new

individuals from their cut body parts is called regeneration. Eg. Animals like Hydra, Planaria
etc, if somehow cut or broken into pieces, each piece grows into a complete organism.
Regeneration is not same as reproduction as most organisms would not depend on being
cut to be able to reproduce.

Draw fig 8.3 regeneration in Planaria pg 131 NCERT book

5) Spore Formation- Spores are usually single celled structures that are released from
parent’s body & can give rise to new individual. In fungi like Rhizopus (bread mould), fungal
hyphae develop blob like structures called sporangium on aerial hyphae. Spores mature
inside sporangium & are liberated by rupturing of sporangial wall. The spores can
germinate on a substratum to make a new individual.

6) Vegetative Propagation- method of asexual reproduction in which new plant arises from
vegetative parts of plant like root, stem, leaf. Two types of Vegetative propagation: Natural
and Artificial propagation.

Natural Vegetative Propagation

BY STEM- Underground stem like, potato, ginger (having vegetative buds) can propagate
naturally

BY ROOT- New plants emerge out of swollen, modified roots known as tubers. Buds are
formed at the base of the stem.eg Sweet potato, Dahlia

BY LEAVES- Plants like Bryophyllum have buds coming out from the notches of the leaves
which develop into new plants.

Artificial Vegetative Propagation

Artificial vegetative propagation techniques used in agriculture & horticulture include:

CUTTING- rose, sugarcane etc.

LAYERING- jasmine, black raspberries etc.

GRAFTING- used to produce novel varieties of roses, citrus, mango etc.

Q6. Why is vegetative propagation practised for growing some types of plants? Give
advantages of vegetative propagation.

Ans. It is very useful for the propagation of plants which have lost the capacity to produce
seeds like banana, orange, rose, jasmine, sugarcane, grapes.

Plants raised by vegetative propagation can bear flowers & fruits earlier than the plants
produced from seeds.

Plants produced by vegetative propagation are genetically similar enough to the parent
plant & have all its characteristics.

Q7.(i) How will an organism be benefitted if it reproduces through spores?

Ans. Spores can survive under unfavorable conditions as they are covered by thick
protective wall. They are produced in large numbers. Due to their small size and light
weight, spores can be dispersed easily far off by wind or water.

(ii) Can you think of reasons why more complex organisms cannot give rise to new
individuals through regeneration?

Ans. Complex organism have specialized cells organized as tissues. Tissues are organized
into organs followed by organ system, that is placed at definite position in the body. Thus
more complex organisms cannot give rise to new individuals through regeneration.