Sexual Reproduction

    Sexual reproduction involves the combination of genetic information from individuals of opposite sexes. Sexual reproduction has benefits primarily due to the fact that sexual reproduction creates genetic variation through the recombination of genetic material. Recombination helps get rid of bad or harmful mutations and increases the rate at which favorable alleles are brought together. Although this does not necessarily increase the rate of mutations, it does allow organisms to better survive. In this way, sexual reproduction has benefits surrounding the red queen hypothesis. This hypothesis states that species must evolve in order to adapt to other organisms evolving. Parasitism provides an example of the red queen hypothesis. Sexual reproduction also has benefits for populations that frequently experience parasitism. Through increasing genetic diversity, organisms can better resist rapidly evolving parasites. Sexual reproduction also increases heterozygosity because it involves mixing genetic material from two different individuals. Having heterozygous alleles is beneficial because it increases genetic diversity and can also hide harmful recessive alleles. Both of these advantages can help organisms better survive in their environments and increase their fitness. 

    What I learned about sexual reproduction does compliment what I have previously learned. Sexual reproduction definitely has benefits over asexual reproduction- particularly regarding increasing genetic diversity. Increasing genetic diversity is extremely important from an evolutionary standpoint. Increased genetic diversity provides a wide range of traits that natural selection can act on- thus, driving evolution. I would like to further explore how asexual reproduction is beneficial other than increasing population growth.