Context: Recently, researchers from Cambridge University and the California Institute of Technology were able to ‘engineer’ a sexually reproducing fruit-fly species fruit fly (Drosophila melanogaster) to reproduce asexually through minor genetic manipulation.
Parthenogenesis
- Parthenogenesis is a form of asexual reproduction in which an organism can produce offspring without the need for fertilisation by a male.
- In parthenogenesis, the female's reproductive cells, such as eggs or ovules, develop into embryos without being fertilised by sperm. The offspring produced through parthenogenesis may or may not be genetically identical to the parent.
- It can happen through various mechanisms, including:
- Duplication of the female's genetic material. (clone)
- Activation of the egg's development without the contribution of genetic material from a male. (may not be genetically identical to the parent)
- Parthenogenesis occurs naturally in several species, including some insects (bees, wasps), reptiles, fish, and amphibians. For example, whiptail lizards are exclusively female and reproduce through parthenogenesis.
- Parthenogenesis can also be induced artificially in certain organisms, including mammals. E.g., By manipulating the eggs via chemical activation, electric stimulation, selective gene expression (altering specific genes or introducing specific factors that promote parthenogenetic development).
- Advantages: Parthenogenesis gives a species the ability to survive extended periods when no mate is available. In 2023, a female crocodile in a Costa Rican zoo laid a clutch of eggs, which had been living in isolation for 16 years at Costa Rican Zoo.
- Disadvantages: May lower genetic diversity, making populations more susceptible to environmental changes.