Asexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction in which a new offspring is produced by a single parent without the need for fertilization or the exchange of genetic material. The offspring produced by asexual reproduction inherit the full set of genes of their single parent and are genetically and physically similar to the parent or an exact clone of the parent. Asexual reproduction is the primary form of reproduction for single-celled organisms such as archaea and bacteria, but many eukaryotic organisms including plants, animals, and fungi can also reproduce asexually.

Here are some key characteristics of asexual reproduction:

• Single parent involved: Asexual reproduction only involves one parent.
• No gamete fusion: Asexual reproduction does not involve any kind of gamete fusion, and there won’t be any change in the number of chromosomes either.
• Clones: The offspring produced by asexual reproduction are genetically and physically identical to each other and to their parent.
• Types of asexual reproduction: The different types of asexual reproduction include binary fission, budding, vegetative propagation, spore formation, fragmentation, parthenogenesis, and apomixis.
• Examples of asexual reproduction: Examples of asexual reproduction include bacteria undergoing binary fission, blackworms reproducing through fragmentation, hydras reproducing through budding, and organisms such as copperheads undergoing parthenogenesis.

Asexual reproduction can be advantageous in some circumstances, such as creating individuals rapidly and in large quantities, and bypassing the sexual process can help a plant in times of dryness since motile sperm require water to fertilize the egg. However, it can also be disadvantageous, such as leading to low genetic variation and the whole society of clones can be terminated if a fatal mutation occurs.