Asexual and sexual reproduction Transitional Reasoning Download PDF

Questions

1. 1.

   A marine biologist monitors two genetically isolated populations of a sea anemone species inhabiting adjacent tidal pools. Population 1 reproduces exclusively through asexual budding, while Population 2 reproduces exclusively through sexual reproduction involving meiosis and fertilization. Following a sudden outbreak of a virulent bacterial pathogen across both pools, Population 1 experiences near-total mortality, whereas a substantial portion of Population 2 survives and successfully reproduces. Based on the mechanisms of asexual and sexual reproduction, which statement best explains the differential survival of these two populations?

   • A) Population 1 suffered high mortality because asexual reproduction requires greater metabolic energy expenditure per offspring, depleting physiological immune reserves.
   • B) Population 2 survived because meiosis actively induces somatic gene mutations that directly suppress bacterial virulence factors.
   • C) Population 2 exhibited genetic variation generated by meiosis and fertilization, providing pre-existing adaptive alleles that conferred resistance to some individuals.
   • D) Population 1 had high mortality because budding permanently arrests mitotic cell division and tissue regeneration during an infection.