Biotechnology, an exciting area within Biology Topics, applies biological knowledge to practical applications.
What is Reproduction? How do Organisms Reproduce?
The process by which living organisms produce new members of their species is called reproduction. All the living things reproduce themselves. The modes (or methods) of reproduction in different animals are different. Some animals reproduce by giving birth to their young ones whereas some animals reproduce their young ones through eggs. For example, human beings reproduce by giving birth to babies (see Figure). The animals such as dogs, cats, cow, horse, deer, lion and tiger, etc., also
reproduce by giving birth to their young ones. The animals like birds and fish reproduce through eggs. Birds lay eggs which on hatching produce young ones. The birds such as hens, pigeons, sparrow, crow, parrot, duck and ostrich, etc., lay eggs. When these eggs are hatched, young ones (baby birds) come out of these eggs. The hatching of a chicken from the egg of a hen is shown in Figure.
Plants also reproduce (to give new plants). Like animals, plants also have different modes of reproduction. Some of the common methods of reproduction in plants are given below :
(i) Many Plants Reproduce Through Seeds. Many plants produce seeds. When the seeds are sown in the moist soil, the seeds germinate and grow into new plants (see Figure). Most of the common crop plants such as wheat, corn (makka), paddy (rice), Bengal gram (chana), etc., are reproduced or grown through their seeds. Some plants reproduce through parts other than seeds. These parts can be “tubers” or “cuttings”.
(ii) Some Plants Reproduce Through Tubers. A tuber is a thickened, underground stem (or root) of a : plant which is swollen with stored food. A potato is a stem tuber. A potato stem tuber has many buds (called eyes) on its body. When a potato tuber is planted in the soil, then all the buds of potato tuber start growing to produce new potato plants (see Figure). Thus, one old potato tuber can produce many new potato plants. It is not necessary to plant the whole potato tuber in the soil to produce new potato plants. We can even plant cut pieces of potato in the soil to obtain new potato plants but each such cut piece should have a bud (or eye) on it. Thus, a cut part of a potato with a bud can grow into a new potato plant.
(iii) Some Plants Reproduce Through Cuttings. A small part of a plant which is removed by making a cut with a sharp knife is called a cutting. A cutting may be a piece of stem, root or even a leaf. The cutting should be made in such a way that there are some buds (growing points) on it. In this method, a cutting of the existing plant (say, of stem or shoot) having some buds on it is taken and its lower part is buried in
the moist soil. Alter a few days, the cutting develops roots and grows into a new plant (see Figure). The plants such as rose, henna (mehndi), grapes, sugarcane and cactus, etc., can be grown by the cuttings method.
Every living thing has a limited life-span on the earth after which it dies. So, reproduction is essential for the survival of a species on this earth, It, however, there is no reproduction. then all the living things will disappear from this earth one day. Non-living things cannot reproduce. For example, a rock is a non-living thing whid cannot produce voting ones.