Difference between Apomixis and Parthenogenesis: Concepts, Similarities, Differences
Apomixis and parthenogenesis are two types of asexual reproduction but are carried out in different organisms through dissimilar processes. Apomixis occurs in plants, with seeds being formed without fertilisation. It is useful in the generation of offspring that is a true replica of the parent plant, thus maintaining characteristics such as disease resistance or high yield unchanged. Apomixis has an important role to play in agriculture as it helps farmers to preserve hybrid vigour without the requirement of repeated crossing.
This Story also Contains
- Definition Of Parthenogenesis And Apomixis
- Apomixis
- Types Of Apomixis
- Significance Of Apomixis In Agriculture
- Parthenogenesis
- Types Of Parthenogenesis
- Significance Of Parthenogenesis In Nature
- Key Differences Between Apomixis And Parthenogenesis
- Recommended video on "Difference between Apomixis and Parthenogenesis"
.jpg)
Parthenogenesis, however, occurs in animals, where an egg matures into a new organism without fertilisation by a male gamete. It occurs in some insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Parthenogenesis is the way nature helps species survive without mates. Although both processes bypass fertilisation, apomixis yields seeds in plants, while parthenogenesis yields fully formed animals from the egg.
Definition Of Parthenogenesis And Apomixis
Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction wherein an egg matures into a new organism without being fertilised by a male gamete. Parthenogenesis occurs in certain animals such as bees, lizards, and certain insects. Offspring resulting from parthenogenesis typically have the same genetic makeup as the mother.
Apomixis is a unique method of plant reproduction where seeds are produced without the process of fertilisation. It implies that new plants develop without the union of the male and female gametes. It occurs in plants such as mango, grasses, and citrus, where it helps in the development of plants that are clones of the parent plant.
Also Read:
Apomixis
Apomixis is a unique form of asexual reproduction in plants that involves the development of seeds without fertilisation. In apomixis, the embryo is produced from cells such as the nucellus or integuments and not from the union of male and female gametes.
Apomixis contributes to the generation of new plants that are identical to the parent plant. It is applied in agriculture because it helps farmers to produce crops with desired characteristics, such as good yields or disease resistance, without the loss of these traits in the subsequent generation.
Types Of Apomixis
The different types are discussed below in the table:
Type | Description |
Apospory | The embryo sac develops from somatic cells of the ovule, bypassing meiosis. |
Diplospory | The embryo sac forms from a cell that undergoes modified meiosis, resulting in diploid cells that form seeds. |
Adventive Embryony | Embryos develop from somatic or nucellar cells around the embryo sac, not from gametic cells. |
Significance Of Apomixis In Agriculture
Apomixis is highly important in agriculture since it helps plants to generate seeds without fertilisation, which makes sure that the desirable characters of high-yielding and disease-resistant types are transmitted from generation to generation. It implies that farmers can obtain a uniform crop without having to purchase new seeds with every season. Apomixis can make farming more efficient and dependable, particularly in crops that utilise hybrid seeds.
It helps in retaining hybrid over a number of generations.
Farmers are able to store seeds without losing quality in the subsequent crop.
It helps in minimising the cost of purchasing fresh hybrid seeds annually.
Plants produced through apomixis exhibit uniform characters.
Apomixis helps in yielding disease-free plants.
It helps in accelerating breeding programmes.
Helps in minimising reliance on cross-pollination.
Beneficial for creating crops adapted to challenging environments.
Parthenogenesis
Parthenogenesis is a common natural asexual reproduction where an egg develops into a complete organism without fertilisation by a male. It occurs in some animals, such as some insects, reptiles, and amphibians. Parthenogenesis helps these animals to reproduce rapidly when they have no mates, so that their population remains stable or even increases. The offspring are genetically close to the mother, which makes sure that successful characteristics remain stable throughout generations.
Types Of Parthenogenesis
The types of parthenogenesis are discussed below in the table:
Type | Description |
Natural Parthenogenesis | A natural process in the reproductive cycle of some species, especially reptiles and amphibians. |
Artificial Parthenogenesis | Induced in the laboratory using chemicals or physical methods to study developmental processes. |
Significance Of Parthenogenesis In Nature
Parthenogenesis is essential as it helps some animals to reproduce without fertilisation. This process is beneficial if it is hard to find a mate, such as in remote environments. It helps species such as some insects, lizards, and birds to reproduce and sustain their population even when conditions are poor. Parthenogenesis helps the continuation of species without the involvement of male gametes.
It helps species to survive where mates are few.
Permits rapid growth in population size.
Young ones are genetically close to the mother, maintaining good qualities intact.
Beneficial in colonising new or isolated environments.
Saves energy for searching for mates.
Observed in both natural and emergency (stressful) conditions in the wild.
Helps in reproduction in unfavourable conditions.
Helps in maintaining the stability of the ecosystem by stabilising populations.
Key Differences Between Apomixis And Parthenogenesis
Apomixis and parthenogenesis are both forms of asexual reproduction, but occur in other groups with important differences. Apomixis occurs in plants, where seeds develop without the process of fertilisation, while parthenogenesis occurs in animals, where an egg grows into a new individual without male and female gamete fusion.
Both contribute to the production of offspring without mating, but their processes and organisms are not alike. Some of the major differences are discussed below in the table:
Aspect | Parthenogenesis | Apomixis |
Definition | Asexual reproduction, where an egg develops without fertilisation | Reproduction involving the combination of genetic material from two parents |
Occurrence | Common in some insects, reptiles, amphibians, and plants | Universal among animals, plants, and many other organisms |
Types | Natural and Artificial | Various (e.g., internal and external fertilisation) |
Mechanism | The egg develops into an individual without fertilisation | Fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote |
Genetic Variation | Low genetic variation | High genetic variation due to recombination |
Significance | Allows reproduction without a mate, quick population growth | Promotes genetic diversity and adaptability to changing environments |
Examples | Bees, aphids, dandelions, sand ome reptiles | Most animals, flowering plants, fungi |
Reproductive Strategies | Typically involves a single parent | Involves two parents with different gametes |
Recommended video on "Difference between Apomixis and Parthenogenesis"
Other useful Resources
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Artificial parthenogenesis: an egg is induced to develop into an embryo without fertilisation, say, by chemical, electrical, or mechanical means. This could involve treatments with calcium ionophores, temperature shocks, or other kinds of physical and chemical agents that can be used to pretend the activation normally brought about by sperm entry.
Plants that undergo apomixis include some dandelions and hawkweeds, and some grasses. The former plants can form seeds parthenogenically without the occurrence of fertilisation, hence allowing asexual reproduction with the perpetuation of their genotype.
The main difference between apomixis and parthenogenesis lies in the fact that, in the former, seeds are formed in plants without fertilisation as a form of asexual reproduction, bypassing the meiosis and fertilisation stages in the development of seeds, while the new individual expresses exactly the genotype of its parent.
On the other hand, parthenogenesis is an asexual reproductive process in both animals and plants whereby an egg develops into an individual without being fertilised. Although parthenogenesis does not involve fertilisation, it frequently still involves meiosis.
One of the clear benefits of apomixis in agriculture is in the generation of inbred but uniform and stable cultivars with predictable and beneficial features, thus ensuring consistency in crop quality. This process also allows for the maintenance of hybrid vigour without the continuous hybridisation necessary in conventional breeding techniques, which reduces the cost and effort involved.
