9

Reproduction in Animals
Expected Learning Outcomes

Knowledge to be gained: •Reproduction •Modes of reproduction •Reproduction in animals

•Reproduction in humans •In vitro fertilisation •Viviparous and Oviparous animals
•Metamorphosis •Binary Fission and Budding in animals
Skill to be developed: •Identifying viviparous and oviparous animals and internal fertilisation and
external fertilisation in animals.
Attitude to be inculcated: •All living beings reproduce to maintain the cycle of life on the Earth.

You would recall that in Class VII, we studied
the process of nutrition, respiration and
transportation in plants and animals. We also
studied the process of reproduction in plants.
ese processes are essential for the survival of
every organism. In this Chapter, we are going to
study the process of reproduction in animals.
REPRODUCTION
We know that all living things have a de nite life
span and they eventually die. However, life
continues from one generation to the next
because all species of organisms possess the
ability to produce young ones of their own kind.
As old organisms of a species die, young ones
keep on being produced. is keeps the cycle of
life and death running.
e production of new individuals from
Reproduction in Animals
existing individuals of the same species
is known as reproduction . e ability
to reproduce is one of the most important
characteristics of living organisms.
Reproduction is an important life process that
helps maintain the continuity of a species on
Earth.
Modes of Reproduction
ere are many ways in which animals
reproduce. For example:
u Some animals reproduce by directly giving
birth to their young ones, like humans, dogs
and cats.
u Some animals lay eggs and their young ones
are hatched from those eggs, like birds, sh
and reptiles.
135
 u Some organisms, like amoeba, split into two
living young ones.
u In some organisms, like yeast and hydra, the
young ones grow out of the parent's body in
the form of buds.
Even though there are so many ways in which
young ones are produced, there are only two
modes of reproduction in animals. ey are:
u Sexual reproduction
u Asexual reproduction
is means that some animals reproduce by the
asexual mode of reproduction and some by the
sexual mode of reproduction. Let us now try
to understand what these two modes of
reproduction are.
Asexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction is the simplest mode of
reproduction. It takes place only in those animals
whose bodies have a simple structure. In asexual
Table: Differences between asexual and sexual reproduction
Asexual reproduction
Only a single parent is required.
Gametes (sex cells) are not produced in
asexually reproducing animals. erefore,
gametes are not required for asexual
reproduction.
Only simple, unicellular animals reproduce
asexually.
Offsprings produced are exactly similar to the
parent.
IMPORTANT TERMS RELATED TO
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
In order to understand sexual reproduction in
animals, we should rst learn the meaning of a
few terms.
136 Exploring Science-8
reproduction, a new individual is produced by
just a single parent, without the involvement
of sex cells (gametes). Asexual reproduction
does not require two sexes (a male parent and a
female parent) to produce a new individual. In
asexual reproduction, an animal can give rise to
another animal without the involvement of sex
cells. We will study about sex cells in detail in
sexual reproduction.
Sexual reproduction
In sexual reproduction, a new individual is
produced by the fusion of male and female sex
cells (gametes) given by two individuals
of different sexes. Almost all complex,
multicellular animals, such as human beings,
birds, insects and reptiles reproduce by the mode
of sexual reproduction. In animals that
reproduce sexually, there are separate male and
female forms, with different reproductive
organs.
Sexual reproduction
Two parents of opposite sexes are required.
Different types of gametes (sex cells) are produced
in different sexes. e fusion of a male gamete and
a female gamete is required for sexual
reproduction.
Complex, multicellular animals reproduce
sexually.
Offsprings produced look different from their
parents, but they have some similar features to
their parents.
Male and Female
Most organisms that reproduce sexually have
two types of individuals—male and female.
is means that the individuals of sexually
reproducing species can be divided into two
sexes—male and female individuals. e
individuals of the two sexes produce different sex
cells and have different body features and
reproductive systems. For example, human
beings can be divided into males and females
based on their sexes. A male is different from a
female because he produces male sex cells
(male gametes) and has a different set of
reproductive organs, while a female produces
female sex cells (female gametes) and has a
different set of reproductive organs.
Animals always require two individuals of
opposite sexes for sexual reproduction, no
more, and no less. Some organisms are
hermaphrodites, i.e., both male and female
gametes are present in the same individual. A few
animals are hermaphrodites, but most cannot
fertilise themselves.
Gametes
Sexual reproduction takes place only by the
fusion (combination) of opposite gametes (sex
cells). Gametes are special cells that are
involved in sexual reproduction. erefore,
they are also called sex cells. A male individual
possesses male gametes and a female
individual possesses female gametes. In
animals, the male gamete is called ‘sperm’ and
the female gamete is called ‘egg’ (or ovum). Each
gamete (whether sperm or egg), is a single cell.
erefore, each gamete has all the basic
components of a cell. Let us study the structure of
male and female gametes in detail.
Sperms
Sperms are extremely small sex cells found in the
reproductive organ system of a male animal. A
sperm is a single cell having a long tail. A typical
human sperm is about 0.05 mm long and can be
observed under a microscope. It can be divided
into three parts—a head, a middle piece and a
tail. e head of a sperm cell contains all the basic
components of a cell. A sperm moves by waving
its tail from side to side.
Reproduction in Animals
Nucleus Cell membrane
Cytoplasm
Head Middle piece Tail
Fig.1 A human sperm
Eggs (Ova)
e eggs are found in the female reproductive
organ system. An egg (ovum) is a single cell
having a circular structure. A typical human egg
is about 0.15 mm in diameter. e egg contains
all the basic components of a cell, like a cell
membrane, cytoplasm and a nucleus. e outer
surface of the cell membrane of an egg is covered
with a jelly-like substance which allows only one
sperm to enter into the egg during fertilisation.
Cytoplasm
Nucleus
Fig.2 A human ovum
Fertilisation
Sexual reproduction occurs only when a male
gamete fuses (combines) with a female gamete.
When a male gamete fuses with a female gamete,
it forms a single cell called a zygote. e process
of fusion of a male gamete with a female
gamete to form a zygote is called fertilisation.
A zygote is a fertilised egg, which means that the
egg has been fused with a sperm. All sexually
reproduced multicellular animals start their life
from this single cell called a ‘zygote’.
Sometimes fertilisation takes place outside the
female body, and sometimes it takes place inside
the female body. Fertilisation, however, doesn't
take place inside a male body.
137

Sperm
Ovum
Fig.3 Fertilisation of an ovum to form a zygote
When fertilisation takes place outside the
female body, it is called external fertilisation.
For example, sea animals like jelly sh gather in
large groups and lay their sperm and eggs
together on the surface of the water. Fertilisation
takes place by the collision between a sperm and
an egg on the surface of the water. During the
collision, the sperms and the eggs fuse to form
zygotes, on the water surface. e zygotes
develop into new individuals.
External fertilisation is very common in shes
such as star sh and jelly sh and in some
amphibians like frogs.
Fig.4 Frogs reproduce through external fertilisation
During spring and rainy seasons, frogs move to
still water bodies like ponds or slow-moving
streams. When a male frog and a female frog
come together, they clasp each other in the water.
e female frog lays hundreds of eggs in water
and the male ejects millions of sperms directly
on the cluster of oating eggs. e sperms swim
in water with their long tail and come in contact
with the eggs. In this way, external fertilisation of
138 Exploring Science-8
Zygote
Sperm Nucleus
Nucleus
Ovum Zygote
Nucleus
several eggs takes place.
e eggs released by the female frog are very
delicate and do not have a hard shell. e eggs are
surrounded by a jelly-like substance which holds
all the eggs together in a cluster.
When fertilisation takes place inside the
female body, it is called internal fertilisation.
In internal fertilisation, the male animal ejects its
sperm inside the reproductive system of a female
body, and the sperm fuses with the egg inside
the body. Fertilisation occurs, and the zygote
is formed inside the female body. Internal
fertilisation takes place in a large number
of birds, reptiles and mammals. Internal
fertilisation also takes place in human beings.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN ANIMALS
Sexual reproduction in animals takes place in the
following steps:
u e male produces sperm (male sex cells)
inside their reproductive system.
u e female produces eggs (female sex cells)
inside their reproductive system.
u e sperm released by the male and the egg
released by the female, fuse to form a zygote.
u e zygote divides repeatedly to increase in
number and forms an embryo.
u e embryo grows to become a foetus. In a
foetus, all the main body features begin to
take shape.
u e foetus continues to grow and develop to
form a newborn young one.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN HUMANS
Before studying the sexual reproduction process
in humans, let us rst study the male and female
reproductive systems.
Male Reproductive System
e male reproductive organs include a pair of
testes (singular ‘testis’), two sperm ducts and a
penis.
e main reproductive organ in a male is the
testes. ey are oval-shaped organs which lie
outside the abdomen cavity in a sac called the
scrotal sac. e main function of the testes is to
produce the male gametes (sperms). Millions of
sperms are produced in the testes. e
testes also secrete a male hormone called
‘testosterone’.
When sperm is to be ejected, it leaves the testes
through a pair of ducts called the sperm duct. As
sperm moves through the sperm ducts, uids
from three glands are secreted into the duct. ese
uids mix with the sperm and the mixture is called
semen. Both the sperm ducts are connected to the
urethra coming from the bladder. e urethra
carries the sperm to the penis, which opens
outside the body. e penis is the organ which
transfers sperm into the vagina of the female's
body. e male reproductive system is designed to
produce sperm and deliver them into the
reproductive system of a female’s body.

Bladder

Sperm
duct

Urethra
Penis
Testis

Fig.5 Male reproductive system in humans

Female Reproductive System
e female reproductive organs include a pair of
ovaries, two oviducts (fallopian tubes), a uterus
and a vagina.
e ovaries are two almond-shaped glands,
present inside the abdominal cavity of a woman.
e main function of the ovaries is to produce
the female gametes called ova (eggs). Usually,
one ovum (egg) is released from one of the
ovaries every month. e ovaries also secrete the
female hormones, oestrogen and progesterone.
Just above each ovary is a tube called the
oviduct (fallopian tube). e oviducts are
connected to the ovaries through a funnel-
shaped opening. When an ovum (egg) is
released from one of the ovaries, it goes into the
oviduct through the funnel-shaped opening.
e ovum travels through the oviduct to a bag-
like organ called the uterus (womb). If
fertilisation of the ovum (egg) takes place, the
embryo develops into a baby inside the uterus.
e uterus is connected to the vagina through a
narrow tube called the cervix. e vagina is
another tube which opens to the outside of the
body. e female reproductive system is
designed to produce eggs, collect semen and
house a developing embryo.

Reproduction in Animals 139

 Oviduct Fertilisation in Human Beings
(fallopian tube) e sperm produced by testes in the male
reproductive system are released into the vagina
by the penis during the process of sexual
reproduction. e sperms enter the vagina and
swim up the uterus, to the oviducts. e sperms
Ovary
Cervix enter both the oviducts. If an ovum is present in
the oviduct, one of the sperms may fuse with the
Uterus
Vagina (or womb) ovum and fertilise it.
During fertilisation, the tail and the middle part
of the sperm break away from the sperm and the
nucleus enters into the ovum. e nuclei of the
Fig.6 e female reproductive sperm and the ovum fuse to form a single
system in humans nucleus, thus creating a zygote. e fertilised
Let us now study how fertilisation of the ovum ovum (zygote) then travels from the oviduct into
and the development of an embryo takes place in the uterus, where it attaches itself to the wall of
human beings. the uterus, and grows into a human embryo.

Egg

Path of
sperm
(d)
(a) (b) (c) New membrane (e)
Insemination Sperm swarm Head of sperm forms to prevent further Zygote
occurs here around the egg enters egg entry of sperm

Fig.7 Fertilisation in humans

Development of an Embryo
Once the zygote is formed, it travels down to the
uterus and divides over and over to make a ball
of hundreds of cells. is growing ball of cells
for the rst eight weeks is called the embryo.
e embryo gets attached to the inner lining of
the uterus, where it continues to develop.
During the rst eight weeks of pregnancy, the
embryo continues to grow and develop in the
uterus. Different groups of cells change their
size and shape and develop into different types
of tissues and organs. When all the body parts
are developed, the unborn baby is now called
the foetus. e foetus continues to develop into
a baby for the weeks that follow. Once the foetus
is fully developed into a baby, the fully formed
baby comes out of the mother's body through
the vagina. It takes about 38 weeks (9 months)
from the fertilisation of the ovum to the birth of
a fully developed baby.

140 Exploring Science-8

 16-cell
8-cell stage
2-cell 4-cell stage
stage stage
Uterus
Fertilised
egg
Baby in posterior
Embryo position
(5 weeks)

Umbilical
cord
Foetus Cervix
(10 weeks)
Vagina
Foetus Foetus
(38 weeks) (20 weeks)

Fig.8 Embryo development Fig.9 Position of foetus inside the uterus

Table: Comparing zygote, embryo and foetus
Zygote Embryo
Sperm and ovum fuse to form a An embryo is formed when the cell
zygote. division of the zygote starts.
A zygote is created just aer the An embryo is created as soon as the cell
successful fertilisation of the division of the zygote begins (up to 8
ovum. weeks).
It is a single cell. It is a cluster of multiple cells of the
same kind.
Foetus
A foetus is formed when body parts are
developed by the embryo.
A foetus is an unborn baby with
developing body parts inside the
uterus (aer 8 weeks till birth).
Multicellular body with different kinds
of cell and tissue formation.

IN VITRO FERTILISATION (IVF) born through this technique is called a ‘test-tube

During natural fertilisation, the fertilisation of
an ovum takes place in the oviduct of a woman.
Natural fertilisation only happens in women
having a completely healthy reproductive
system. However, not all women have a
completely healthy reproductive system.
Doctors have found that the oviducts in some
women are blocked. Such women nd it difficult
to conceive a baby. Such women are unable to
bear a baby because the sperms are blocked from
reaching the egg, thereby preventing the sperms
from fertilising the ovum.
However, with the help of technology, now even
women with blocked oviducts can have babies.
is technique is called ‘in vitro fertilisation’ or
‘arti cial fertilisation’. In vitro fertilisation
(IVF) is the technique of fertilising the ovum
of a woman whose oviducts are blocked. A baby
baby’. It is known as a test-tube baby because
during in vitro fertilisation, the fertilisation of an
ovum is carried out in a glass tube.
Steps involved in in vitro fertilisation (IVF)
1. A small operation is done on the woman by
making a small incision near the abdomen
and taking out a few eggs from the ovary.
2. e male partner provides the sperm in the
form of semen.
3. An IVF specialist mixes the sperms with
some eggs in a glass tube to carry out
fertilisation.
4. If an egg gets fertilised, it develops into an
embryo.
5. Aer about a week, one or more developing
embryos are implanted into the uterus of the
woman.

Reproduction in Animals 141

 6. If any of the implanted embryos are
successful in attaching to the inner lining of
the uterus, the woman becomes pregnant.
e term ‘test-tube baby’ used for babies born
through the IVF technique is actually misleading
because babies cannot grow in test tubes.
Knowledge Booster
The first successful ar ficial fer lisa on, or IVF, was
implanted in a human body in 1978. A large number of
babies are now born all around the world using the IVF
technique. The success rate of IVF though remains
about 30% - 40%. You can find IVF clinics in almost all
ci es of our country.
VIVIPAROUS AND OVIPAROUS
ANIMALS
In sexual animals that exhibit internal
fertilisation, there are two modes through which
an embryo develops into a new organism. Some
animals directly give birth to young ones, while
some animals lay eggs which later hatch into
young ones.
ose animals which give birth to young ones
are called viviparous animals. Humans and
most other mammals, like cows, goats, cats, and
dogs, are examples of viviparous animals. In
viviparous animals, the young ones grow in the
uterus of the mother until they are fully
developed.
egg, it breaks the egg and comes out of it. is
process is called hatching.
METAMORPHOSIS
In most animals, the new-born young ones look
very similar to their parents in body shape and
structure. But this is not true for all animals. In
animals like frogs and butter ies, their young
ones look very different from the adult parents.
Let us study the life cycle of a frog. e hatching
of a fertilised frog egg produces a young one,
which we call a tadpole. e tadpole looks very
different from an adult frog. e tadpole
develops gradually and goes through many
changes in its life to become a mature frog. A
tadpole is adapted to survive only in water. In its
lifetime, it grows into an adult frog that is
adapted to live in water and on land.
A frog actually goes through three distinct stages
during its life cycle, i.e.,
Egg Tadpole (larva) Adult frog
Eggs
Adult Embryo
frog
Young Tadpoles
clinging to
frog
water-plant

On the other hand, those animals which lay Tail

eggs, through which young ones are hatched, becomes Tail keeps
shorter on growing
are called oviparous animals. All birds, reptiles
and insects, like chickens, ducks, butter ies,
frogs and snakes, are examples of oviparous Front legs Hindlegs
appear appear
animals. e process of development of the
embryo is different in oviparous animals. Fig.10 Life cycle of a frog
Oviparous mothers lay fertilised eggs out of their Let us look at another example. Consider the life
bodies and young ones hatch out of the egg in cycle of a butter y. A butter y goes through four
due course of time. e young ones develop distinct stages during its life cycle, i.e.,
outside the mother's body and inside the eggs. Caterpillar Adult
Egg Pupa
When a young one has developed inside an (larva) butter y

142 Exploring Science-8


Adult
Egg
Butter y
Young
Butter y
Caterpillar
(larva)
pupa
Fig.11 Life cycle of a butter y
Generally, a female butter y lays eggs on a plant
leaf. e hatching of a fertilised butter y
egg produces a young one, which we call a
caterpillar. e caterpillar hatches from the egg
and feeds on the leaves vigorously and continues
to develop and grow in size. e caterpillar
doesn't look anything like an adult butter y. As
the days pass, it continues to develop various
organs. Aer about 10 days from birth, the
caterpillar becomes ready to enter the pupa
stage. It stops feeding on the leaves and starts to
Checkpoint-1
Write True or False
1. ere are three modes of reproduction.
2. Sexual reproduction always requires two individuals.
3. e male gamete is called sperm.
4. Ova are produced in the testes.
5. e oviducts are connected to the vagina.
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
So far, we have studied about reproduction in
some familiar animals. All these animals
reproduce through the sexual mode of
reproduction. However, there are some simple
animals, like Amoeba and Hydra, which do not
create sex cells and hence reproduce asexually.
We know that asexual reproduction is the
Reproduction in Animals
secrete a bre-like substance. It covers itself with
this bre-like substance, which hardens on
continued exposure to air. e caterpillar covers
itself with enough bre to form a complete shell
around the pupa. is hard covering is called the
cocoon.
Aer it has spun a cocoon around itself, it
becomes a pupa. e pupa continues to develop
inside the cocoon. In the next 7 to 10 days, it
grows wings and develops other organs and
breaks out of the cocoon as a young butter y.
When a tadpole transforms into a frog, or when a
caterpillar transforms into a butter y, they are
said to have undergone metamorphosis. e
process of transformation of an immature
form of an animal (like larva or caterpillar) to
its adult form, by going through drastic
changes in two or more distinct stages, is called
metamorphosis.
Humans also experience changes in their body
size and appearance, but these changes are not
drastic. In human beings, body parts similar to
those present in adults are present in babies from
the time of birth. So, human beings are not said
to undergo metamorphosis.
__________
__________
__________
__________
__________
production of new individuals from existing
individuals of the same species without the
involvement of sex cells.
You would remember that in Class VII, we have
studied the different methods of asexual
reproduction in plants. We will now study the
two most common methods of asexual
reproduction observed in animals.
143
 ey are: u Binary ssion, and u Budding
Binary Fission
e word ‘ ssion’ means ‘division’ and ‘binary’
means ‘two’. erefore, Binary ssion is an
asexual method of reproduction in which the
p arent org anism splits into two ne w
organisms. Aer binary ssion, the parent
organisms cease to exist, and the two daughter
organisms come into existence.
Binary ssion can be observed in a simple
unicellular organism called Amoeba. In a mature
Amoeba, binary ssion happens as follows:
u Fission begins with the lengthening of the
nucleus, which eventually divides into two
nuclei.
u Aer that, the cytoplasm divides into two
parts, each part containing a nucleus.
In this way, two daughter Amoebae are formed
from a parent Amoeba. e daughter Amoebae
grow and attain full size before splitting again.
Nucleus
Cytoplasm
Budding
Another method of asexual reproduction
observed in simple unicellular organisms is
budding. Budding is an asexual method of
reproduction in which new individuals
develop as an outgrowth from a single parent.
Budding can be observed in Hydra. It is similar to
budding in yeast.
Budding begins with the development of a bulb-
like projection called ‘bud’ on the body of the
parent Hydra. e bud continues to grow on the
body of the parent. It may grow and eventually
break away from the parent, thus forming a new
young organism.
Tentacles
Bud
Fig.13 Hydra budding
Apart from binary ssion and budding, there are
other methods by which a single parent
reproduces young ones. We will study about
these in higher classes.

(a) Parent (b) Elongation (c) Division of (d) Two Knowledge Booster
amoeba of nucleus daughter
nucleus and amoebae In corals and sponges, buds do not separate. They
cytoplasm remain a ached to the parent's body. They con nue to
develop and grow in size and reproduce again and again
Fig.12 Amoeba reproduces by binary ssion to form a colony.

Checkpoint-2
Fill in the blanks
1. In animals like frogs and butter ies, their young ones look very __________ from the adult
parents.
2. e hatching of a fertilised frog egg produces a young one called __________.
3. Aer about __________ from birth, the caterpillar becomes ready to enter the pupa stage.
4. Some simple animals, like Amoeba and Hydra, do not create __________ cells and hence
reproduce asexually.
5. Binary ssion can be observed in __________.

144 Exploring Science-8

Keywords
Reproduction : e process of producing young ones.
Asexual reproduction : Reproduction which does not involve sex cells.
Sexual reproduction : Reproduction which involves sex cells.
Sperm : Male gamete.
Ovum : Female gamete.
Zygote : Cell formed by the fusion of sperm and ovum.
Internal fertilisation : Fertilisation that occurs inside the body of the organism.
External fertilisation : Fertilisation that occurs outside the body of the organism.
Viviparous : Animals that give birth to young ones.
Oviparous : Animals that lay eggs.
Metamorphosis : e drastic transformation in the structure and shape of an organism.

Points to Remember
u e production of new individuals from existing individuals of the same species is known as
reproduction.
u ere are two modes by which animals reproduce. ey are—Sexual reproduction and Asexual
reproduction.
u In asexual reproduction, a new individual is produced by just a single parent, without the
involvement of sex cells (gametes).
u In sexual reproduction, a new individual is produced by the fusion of male and female sex cells
(gametes) given by two individuals of different sexes.
u A male is different from a female because he produces male sex cells (male gametes) and has a
different set of reproductive organs, while a female produces female sex cells (female gametes)
and has a different set of reproductive organs.
u e process of fusion of a male gamete with a female gamete to form a zygote is called
fertilisation. When fertilisation takes place outside the female body, it is called external
fertilisation. When it takes place inside the female body, it is called internal fertilisation.
u In humans, the male reproductive organs include a pair of testes (singular ‘testis’), two sperm
ducts and a penis. e main reproductive organ in a male is the testes. e main function of the
testes is to produce the male gametes (sperms).
u In humans, the female reproductive organs include a pair of ovaries, two oviducts (fallopian
tubes), a uterus and a vagina. e main reproductive organ in a female is the ovaries. e main
function of the ovaries is to produce the female gametes called ova (eggs).

Reproduction in Animals 145

 u In humans, the sperm from the male fuses with the ovum (egg) from the female to form a
zygote. Fertilisation occurs in the oviduct of the female and the zygote travels down to the
uterus. e embryo develops into a baby in the uterus before being born.
u Reproduction in humans happens in the following way:
Fertilisation Zygote Embryo Foetus New born baby
u In vitro fertilisation (IVF) is the technique of fertilising the ovum of a woman whose oviducts
are blocked.
u ose animals which give birth to young ones are called viviparous animals.
u ose animals which lay eggs, through which young ones are hatched, are called oviparous
animals.
u e process of transformation of an immature form of an animal (like a larva or caterpillar) to
its adult form, by going through drastic changes in two or more distinct stages, is called
metamorphosis.
u e two most common methods of asexual reproduction observed in animals are—Binary
ssion and Budding.
u Binary ssion is an asexual method of reproduction in which the parent organism splits into
two new organisms. It can be observed in Amoeba.
u Budding is an asexual method of reproduction in which new individuals develop as an
outgrowth from a single parent. Budding can be observed in Hydra.

Exercise
A. Tick (3) the Correct Option
1. Which of the following is a female reproductive organ in humans?
(a) Ovum (b) Ova
(c) Ovary (d) Testes
2. Internal fertilisation occurs:
(a) in the female body (b) outside the female body
(c) in the male body (d) outside the male body
3. e number of nuclei present in a zygote:
(a) none (b) one
(c) two (d) three
4. Which of the following is an oviparous animal?
(a) Humans (b) Dogs
(c) Cats (d) Duck

146 Exploring Science-8

 5. In a butter y, the eggs hatch to produce:
(a) pupa (b) caterpillar
(c) cocoon (d) tadpole
B. Fill in the Blanks with Suitable Words
1. ere are only two modes of reproduction: ______________ and ______________.
2. Asexual reproduction takes place without the involvement of ______________.
3. ______________ are not produced in asexually reproducing animals.
4. Only ______________ animals reproduce asexually.
5. e male gamete is called ___________________ and the female gamete is called
______________.
6. A sperm is a single cell having a long ______________.
7. e male and the female gamete fuse to form a ______________.
8. Testes lie outside the abdomen cavity in a sac called the ______________.
9. e hard covering of pupa is called ______________.
10. A frog goes through ______________ distinct stages during its life cycle.
C. Very Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. What is reproduction?
2. Sexual reproduction in animals always requires two individuals. True or false?
3. Offspring produced in asexual reproduction are exact copies of their parents. True or false?
4. When does external fertilisation occur?
5. Give two examples of animals that exhibit external fertilisation.
6. When does internal fertilisation occur?
7. Give two examples of animals that exhibit internal fertilisation.
8. An embryo is a single-celled structure. True or false?
9. Fertilisation is not necessary for asexual reproduction. True or false?
10. What is in vitro fertilisation?
11. What are viviparous animals? Give two examples.
12. What are oviparous animals? Give two examples.
13. What is metamorphosis in organisms?
14. Name two common methods of asexual reproduction observed in animals.
D. Short-Answer-Type Questions
1. ere are many ways in which animals reproduce. Explain.
2. Differentiate between asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction.
3. Mention the steps involved in sexual reproduction in animals.
4. How does fertilisation in human beings take place?

Reproduction in Animals 147

 5. How does an embryo develop in the uterus of a human female?
6. What is binary ssion? Explain with the help of an example.
7. What is budding? Explain with the help of an example.
E. Long-Answer-Type Questions
1. What are gametes? Explain the structure of human male gametes and human female
gametes.
2. How does external fertilisation take place? Explain with the help of an example.
3. Explain the male reproductive system with the help of a diagram.
4. Explain the female reproductive system with the help of a diagram.
5. Explain the steps involved in ‘in vitro fertilisation’.
6. With the help of a diagram, explain how metamorphosis occurs in the life cycle of a
butter y.

HOTS
1. Frogs and sh lay hundreds of eggs at a time. Why do you think they lay so many eggs?
2. A single cell ultimately gives rise to the trillions of cells in the body of an individual. Do
you think this statement is true? If so, why?
3. If two individuals are always required for sexual reproduction in animals, how do you
think hermaphrodites reproduce?

Activity Zone
A. Complete the crossword with the help of the clues given below:
Ë1. e process of the fusion of the
Across

gametes. 1
F
2
T
3
I
4
O
6. e type of fertilisation in hens.
7. e term used for bulges 5
B
observed on the sides of the
body of Hydra. 6
I
8. Eggs are produced here. 7
B
8
O
2. Sperms are produced in these
Down Ë

male reproductive organs.

3. Short form for in vitro fertilisation.
4. ese animals lay eggs.
5. A type of ssion in Amoeba.
148 Exploring Science-8
Project Work

B. We know that sexual reproduction in animals does not take place without the involvement of
male sperm. We also know that the individuals produced by sexual animals have characteristics
of both father and mother. But in 1996, scientists were able to produce a baby sheep ‘Dolly’ by
taking a cell from the mammary gland of a female sheep, and an unfertilised egg from another
female sheep.
e nucleus of the unfertilised egg was removed. is egg (without the nucleus) was arti cially
fused with the mammary gland cell taken from the rst sheep. When the nucleus of the
mammary gland cell fused with
the egg cell of the other female Sheep 1 Sheep 2
sheep, the egg got fooled into
thinking that fertilisation had
already taken place. e fooled
egg cell now started developing
into an embryo. e embryo was
then taken and inserted inside the
uterus of a third female sheep. In
Mammary Mature
some months, the planted embryo gland cell egg
developed inside the uterus of the
third sheep. e third sheep Mild
electric shock
eventually gave birth to a baby
sheep that was named ‘Dolly’. (See Extracted
adjoining gure) nucleus

It was found that Dolly inherited Remove nucleus

Nucleus from sheep 1
all its genes from the female sheep fuses with empty egg
(empty egg)
whose mammary gland cell was from sheep 2 and starts to
divide to form an embryo
taken. Dolly had no genes of the
sheep which gave the egg. Dolly Lamb born is
grew up to be the exact copy a clone of
sheep 1
(clone) of the rst sheep (from e cloned embryo
which mammary gland cells were is implanted into
the uterus of sheep 3
taken). Dolly lived a healthy life
like any other sheep. Sheep 3
Before Dolly, it was thought that
clones of animals that reproduce
Cloning of a sheep
through the sexual mode were not
possible, as offspring of sexual animals inherit the genes (characteristics) of the two parents.
Research and nd out about cloning. Find out the advantages and disadvantages of cloning. Now
imagine if you were able to make an exact copy of yourself (a clone), what would you do? How
would people differentiate between you and your clone? Write a report on—“Should the cloning
of human beings be allowed?”.

Reproduction in Animals 149

 Science Excursion
C. Visit a poultry farm. Talk to the manager of the farm and try to nd out the answers to the
following questions:
1. What are layers and broilers in a poultry farm?
2. Do hens lay unfertilised eggs?
3. How can you obtain fertilised and unfertilised eggs?
4. Are the eggs that we get in the stores fertilised or unfertilised?
5. Can you consume fertilised eggs?
6. Is there any difference in the nutritional value of fertilised and unfertilised eggs?

Memory Map
REPRODUCTION

Asexual Sexual
methods requires

Binary ssion Budding Male Female

observed in observed in produces produces
Amoeba Hydra Sperm Ovum
fertilisation

Zygote
cell division
Embryo
viviparous oviparous

Foetus Egg
birth hatch
Baby Baby

e-Resources
Please visit the link given below or scan the QR code for more resources on
this chapter:

https://www.megamindpublication.com/s-5-science/b-4-exploring-science-8/c-53/
reproduction-in-animals.html

150 Exploring Science-8