Question

Which example represents a DISADVANTAGE of asexual reproduction? A) Genetic variety slowly causes hundreds of species of beetles to form from a single species. B) A single antibiotic is able to quickly and easily kill millions of genetically identical bacteria. C) Millions of bacteria are quickly produced by cell division, in one afternoon in a jug of milk that has been left on the counter. Eliminate D) Male anglerfish must live on larger females as parasitic mates, since they encounter other anglerfish so infrequently in the deep ocean.

Answer 1

Answer:

The correct answer would be an option B.

Asexual reproduction is a reproduction in which offspring are produced from a single parent.

It does not involve fusion of gametes and crossing over due to which the offspring contain identical genome as that of parents.

This reduces the genetic diversity in a population due to which all the organisms of a population are at equal risk of extinction under unfavorable conditions such as high temperature, antibiotics, change in pH of surrounding medium et cetera.

Thus, the disadvantage of asexual reproduction is the lack of genetic diversity due to which a single antibiotic is able to kill millions of genetically identical bacteria.