asexual reproduction

American  

[ey-sek-shoo-uhl ree-pruh-duhk-shuhn] / ˌeɪˈsɛk ʃu əl ˌri prəˈdʌk ʃən /

noun

Biology.

1. reproduction, as budding, fission, or spore formation, not involving the union of gametes.

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asexual reproduction Scientific  

/ ā-sĕk′sho̅o̅-əl /

1. See under reproduction

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asexual reproduction Cultural  

1. The kind of reproduction in which it is not necessary to have two parents to produce offspring. The reproduction of single-celled organisms through fission, and the production of spores in some plants and plantlike organisms, are examples of asexual reproduction.

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Etymology

Origin of asexual reproduction

First recorded in 18455–60

Compare meaning

How does asexual-reproduction compare to similar and commonly confused words? Explore the most common comparisons:

• sexual vs. asexual reproduction
• asexual reproduction vs. sexual reproduction

Example Sentences

Many sponges can survive severe damage and undergo frequent fragmentation, which is considered a mechanism for asexual reproduction.

From Science Daily • Mar. 26, 2024

This is a form of asexual reproduction where a female egg is fertilized without the sperm from a male.

From BBC • Feb. 15, 2024

Its biggest lesson now is on the process of parthenogenesis: a type of asexual reproduction in which offspring develop from unfertilized eggs, meaning there is no genetic contribution by a male.

From Seattle Times • Feb. 13, 2024

It's the first time scientists have recorded in an American crocodile successful parthenogenesis, which is asexual reproduction and Greek for "virgin birth."

From Salon • Jun. 10, 2023

Sexual Generation.—The union of the two sexual elements seems to make a broad distinction between sexual and asexual reproduction.

From The Variation of Animals and Plants Under Domestication, Volume II (of 2) by Darwin, Charles