Asexual Reproduction in Plant

Introduction:

• Asexual reproduction does not involve fusion of two compatible gametes or sex cells.  
• Asexual reproduction produces plants that thrive well in stable environments because they carry genes identical to those of their parents. They are exact copies of their parents.

• It is the process resulting in the production of genetically identical progeny from a single organism and inherits the genes of the parent. Such morphologically and genetically identical individuals are called clones.  

Different modes of Asexual Reproduction:

1) Fragmentation- Multicellular organisms can break into fragments due to one or the other reasons. e.g. Spirogyra. These fragments grow into new individuals.  

Fragmentation in Spirogyra 

2) Budding- It takes place during favorable conditions by producing one or more outgrowths (buds). These buds on separation develop into new individual. E.g., Yeast

Budding of Yeast

3) Spore formation- In Chlamydomonas, asexual reproduction occurs by flagellated, motile zoospores which can grow independently into new individuals.  

Zoospores in Chlamydomonas

4) Binary fission- Two new daughter cells are produced from the parent cell in this asexual reproduction process. E.g., Chlorella, Diatoms and Chlamydomonas. 

5) Conidia formation- The process by which higher fungi reproduce asexually by mitosis to produce conidia, which are non-motile spores. Conidia are haploid cells that share the same genetic makeup as their haploid parent. E.g., Penicillium. 

 Conidia formation in Penicillium

6) Gemma formation- A single cell, a mass of cells, or a modified tissue bud that separates from the parent and grows into a new individual is called a gemma (plural gemmae). It is a technique for asexual plant reproduction. E.g., Marchantia. 

Gemma formation as in Marchantia