Parthenogenesis is best described as virgin birth, where eggs develop without fertilization.

Parthenogenesis is best described as virgin birth, where eggs develop without fertilization.

• A. Virgin birth; eggs develop without fertilization
• B. Sexual reproduction only
• C. Clonal growth from tissue
• D. Fertilization by a male only

Answer: (A)

Parthenogenesis describes development from an unfertilized egg, a form of reproduction that occurs without any sperm input. This means offspring can arise from the female’s egg alone, effectively a virgin birth. It isn’t sexual reproduction, which requires fertilization by a male; it isn’t tissue-based cloning, which involves somatic cells rather than an egg developing into an organism; and it isn’t fertilization by a male at all.

Parthenogenesis describes development from an unfertilized egg, a form of reproduction that occurs without any sperm input. This means offspring can arise from the female’s egg alone, effectively a virgin birth. It isn’t sexual reproduction, which requires fertilization by a male; it isn’t tissue-based cloning, which involves somatic cells rather than an egg developing into an organism; and it isn’t fertilization by a male at all.