asexual reproduction

[ ey-sek-shoo-uhl ree-pruh-duhk-shuhn ]

noun

, Biology.

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

asexual reproduction

/ ā-sĕk′sho̅o̅-əl /

1. See under reproduction

asexual reproduction

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.

Word History and Origins

Origin of asexual reproduction¹

First recorded in 18455–60

Example Sentences

The pregnancy was thought to be the result of a type of asexual reproduction called parthenogenesis, in which offspring develop from unfertilized eggs, meaning there is no genetic contribution by a male.

From Seattle Times

Under laboratory conditions, Pristina grows very rapidly and creates copies of itself by asexual reproduction.

From Science Daily

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

From Science Daily

If we could find a way to propagate crop plants by asexual reproduction through seeds -- known as apomixis -- it would revolutionize agriculture.

From Science Daily

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

From BBC