Which organism can reproduce both sexually and asexually?
dog
protist
sandhill crane
starfish
protist
The organism that can reproduce both sexually and asexually is the protist.
The organism that can reproduce both sexually and asexually is the protist. To arrive at this answer, we need to consider the characteristics of each of the organisms mentioned.
- Dogs (Canis lupus familiaris) primarily reproduce sexually. They have two sexes, male and female, and require the involvement of both sexes for sexual reproduction to occur.
- Sandhill cranes (Antigone canadensis) also reproduce sexually. They have separate sexes and require the involvement of both male and female cranes for sexual reproduction.
- Starfish (or sea stars) have a unique reproductive mechanism called "regeneration" which allows them to reproduce asexually. When a starfish loses an arm or is damaged, it has the ability to regenerate that arm and grow into a new individual. However, they also reproduce sexually during certain phases of their life cycle, which involves the release of eggs and sperm into the water for external fertilization.
- Protists are a diverse group of eukaryotic microorganisms that can reproduce both sexually and asexually. Many protists can reproduce asexually through processes like binary fission, budding, or fragmentation. They can also reproduce sexually through processes such as conjugation or syngamy, which involve the exchange or fusion of genetic material between two individuals.
Therefore, among the organisms mentioned, the protist is capable of both sexual and asexual reproduction.