Is Sex Important?

     Nothing is more important than sex. There are two types of reproduction. There is sexual reproduction, and there is asexual reproduction. There are advantages and negatives to both forms of reproduction. 

     Sexual reproduction has numerous benefits. Sex enables us to survive. "...it looks like we need sex to stay healthy. Shuffling genes can help us evade parasites and reduces the impact of harmful mutations."(231). Sex makes us unique, one of a kind. Our shuffling of genes is unique only to us. This makes it much harder for diseases to wipe out an entire population because we are all different. "A field full of different clones would not be vulnerable, yes? The disease would not be able to sweep through and infect everybody."(229). Some extra benefits are being more resistant to environmental changes and traits that arrive in the population. Some of the costs of sexual reproduction are that it takes a lot time and effort. Sex also exposes you to STDs and parasites.

     Asexual reproduction is reproduction with only one parent. The offspring are genetically identical to the parent. "Long-term success as an asexual is difficult - and almost certainly requires several quirks of fate."(231). Long-term success is difficult because there is no genetic variation within the population. "Escovopis is a virulent disease of the fungus, and if it breaks out, it will destroy the whole garden."(228). If their environment changes or a new pathogen attacks them, they are more likely to go extinct since they are all the same. Some benefits of asexual reproduction are that it is very easy, takes a short amount of time, no mate is necessary, and a lot of offspring are made.