Can fertilization ever be considered asexual reproduction? If so - what are the specific circumstances? If not why not?

Similar questions: fertilization considered asexual reproduction specific circumstances.

No, fertilization is only a change in method while the content stays the same. Asexual reproduction basically is something that only requires ONE parent through the whole process. Any reproduction that requires the input from two indivuals can not be considered asexual, and fertilization only mean that the individuals mever have to meet up to complete the genetic transfer..

What appears to be closest to your answer is... ... self-fertilization, in animals that bear both sets of reproductive organs. Many land snails fall into this group. Because the animal fertilizes itself, it is undergoing fertilization but not sexual reproduction.

I studied one such organism for my Master's thesis, a tree snail native to southern Florida called Orthalicus reses. While sexual reproducxtion is most common in these hermaphroditic animals, self-fertilization is an option for when a single specimen remains of a colony, as a way to continue the species under extreme circumstances. The Giant African Snail (Achatina fulica) does the same.In addition, depending on who you talk to parthenogenesis might fit the bill.

While technically fertilization does not occur because no sperm are involved, the offspring produced by parthenogenesis do have a full set of chromosomes so in effect the egg has been fertilized. As one article puts it:"Female sharks can *fertilize their own eggs* and give birth without sperm from males, according to a new study of the asexual reproduction of a hammerhead in a U.S.Zoo." ( weblog.xanga.com/AnneDigitalis/623525968... )If parthenogenesis meets your criteria of being asexual fertilization then it is known to occur in all major vertebrate groups except for mammals. Birds do it, reptiles do it, amphibians do it, fishes do it, and now sharks are known to do it.

However, Wikipedia says that parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction in which females produce eggs that develop *without fertilization. * If viewed this way then parthenogenesis does not meet your requirements. A form of asexual reproduction related to parthenogenesis is gynogenesis.

Here offspring are produced by the same mechanism as in parthenogenesis, but with the requirement that the egg be stimulated by the presence of sperm in order to develop. However, the sperm cell does not contribute any genetic material to the offspring. In other words, the eggs are not actually fertilized although mating has to take place.

Since gynogenetic species are all female, activation of their eggs requires mating with males of a closely related species for the stimulus needed. Some salamanders of the genus Ambystoma are gynogenetic and appear to have been so for over a million years. It is believed that the success of those salamanders may be due to a rare fertilization of eggs by a male, introducing new material to the gene pool, which may result from perhaps, only one mating out of a million.

Sources: My Thesis Research AND Cited in the answer AND http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parthenogenesis#Automictic_parthenogenesis .

The word "fertilization" refers to joining of sperm and egg. That cannot happen in asexual reproduction. "Conjugation" is analagous to fertilization in asexual single celled organisms."A number of single-celled organisms multiply by conjugation.

In this process, which is analogous to fertilization, two similar unicellular organisms fuse, exchange nuclear materials, and then break apart. " encarta.msn.com/encyclopedia_761572784/r... So conjugation looks somewhat similar to fertilization, but because "fertilization" is reserved to joining of sperm and egg, another term has been used. Another term where you have reproduction in sexually reproducing organisms but without fertilization is "parthenogenesis": " Insects: Parthenogenesis (asexual reproduction) in aphids from bugguide.

Net An egg develops into a new individual without fertilization. Parthenogenesis naturally occurs in some plants, insects, some fishes, frogs, and lizards.It does not normally occur in mammals, but has been artificially stimulated in mice. " life.uiuc.edu/bio100/lectures/s07lects/1... In simple terms, the "why not" is due to definitions and the use of different terms when 1) organisms that normally reproduce by fission (asexual) exchange genes and 2) normally multicellular sexually reproducing organisms reproduce asexually.

The reason is to avoid confusion of terms. Go down and look at the "match the types of reproduction" part of this test: gbs.glenbrook.k12.il.us/Academics/gbssci... Sources: bio.sdsu.edu/pub/tod/herpetology/lecture...; .

Some individual plants make both male and female parts. Some of these can self-pollinate. I guess it would actually be sexual because of the parts and the process.

But it would sort of be asexual since only one individual made the parts.

2 This is fertilization because it is the joining of gametes (egg and sperm). It is sexual in that the gametes have undergone meiosis. However, note that ALL plants have 2 cycles of reproduction.

One is "asexual" and one is sexual: emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/B... One phase is usually dominant, by which I mean it produces the plant that we actually see and think of as THE plant. It's complicated.

This is fertilization because it is the joining of gametes (egg and sperm). It is sexual in that the gametes have undergone meiosis. However, note that ALL plants have 2 cycles of reproduction.

One is "asexual" and one is sexual: emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/BIOBK/B... One phase is usually dominant, by which I mean it produces the plant that we actually see and think of as THE plant. It's complicated.

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.