So Why Sex?

Abstract

Abstract Asexual reproduction faces a few drawbacks. The most important of these are the accumulation of deleterious mutations and the lack of variability between individuals in a population. Both problems are partially offset in prokaryotes, where transformation, conjugation, and transduction make it possible to use parts of the chromosome of another individual to repair its own and add variability to the genome. However, sexual reproduction addresses both disadvantages more fully, and addressing one or both may have been influential in its evolution. Combining genes with those of another individual during reproduction results in access to genetic material that can also be used to repair, or at least mask, DNA damage or deleterious mutations. Additionally, sexual reproduction results in variable young. This variability is due to crossing-over and the random segregation of chromosomes during the formation of gametes and combining the genes of two individuals. Recent studies have focussed on the Red Queen hypothesis, which states that having offspring genetically different from their mother makes them less susceptible to parasites. A short life cycle enables these parasites to adapt well to their hosts. Offspring can better combat pathogens tailored to their mother by being a little different.