Asexual, or vegetative, reproduction in plants is controlled by environmental conditions, but the molecular signaling pathways that control this process are poorly understood. Recent research suggests ... Plants are able to reproduce in two different ways - sexual reproduction and asexual reproducion.

Understanding the Context

Sexual reproduction involves pollen from one flower fertilising the egg of another to produce a seed. An HHMI scientist has moved a step closer to turning sexually-reproducing plants into asexual reproducers, a finding that could have profound implications for agriculture. Farmers throughout the world ... Plant reproduction is highly complex and variable across the kingdom.

Key Insights

The emergence of sexual reproduction has contributed to increase plant genetic diversity and enabled the colonisation of new ... Seeds are the end product of plant reproduction. Whether directly as food, or indirectly as animal feed, they provide around 80 percent of human calorie consumption. In the millennia since humans ... Reproduction in the animal kingdom has historically been sexual.

Final Thoughts

Cloning the sheep Dolly in 1997 moved us closer to the possibility of duplicating other animals or humans asexually, but the practice ... A scientist has moved a step closer to turning sexually-reproducing plants into asexual reproducers, a finding that could have profound implications for agriculture. Farmers throughout the world spend ... The questions in this quiz are suitable for GCSE biology students studying asexual reproduction, sexual reproduction, meiosis and gamete formation, advantages and disadvantages of sexual and asexual ...