User:Tuba59/Biological generations

Biological Generations

This article reviews some of the many ways in which the concept of generation is used in the biological sciences, and lays the foundation for applying the concept to human societies. The order in which the topics appear here is somewhat arbitrary.

Generations in asexually reproducing organisms

 * Main article: asexual reproduction

Organisms that reproduce asexually yield offspring by fission, genetic cloning, budding, spore formation, fragmentation and other means. Only one parent is involved (the ultimate single parent family), reproduction occurs without the fusion of gametes and genetic recombination, and all mature organisms are potential parents of succeeding generations. Except for mutations that can produce genetic diversity, each succeeding generation is the equivalent of a “photocopy” of its parental generation. Asexual reproduction is the primary form of reproduction for single-celled organisms such as the archaea, bacteria, and protists, as well as for many plants and fungi.