Is Sexual Reproduction Important?

Sex is a necessity when referring to the survival of organisms. As stated by Dr. Tatiana in Dr. Tatiana’s Sex Advice To All Creation by Olivia Judson, sex is the mixing of genes, creating an organism with a new genetic makeup. A new genetic makeup is essential for evolution to occur, and happens through mutation and sex. However some organisms evolve to reproduce asexually, or without sex. Although asexual reproduction has its benefits, it can lead to extinction rapidly, making sexual reproduction better and thereby more important.

In “Wholly Virgin,” many arguments were stated that supported the opinion that sex is important. The Philodina roseola was claimed to have been reproducing asexually for the past 85 million years without the need for meiosis. However, the ram pointed out that chaetonotoid gastrotrichs, who also claimed to be ancient asexuals, were caught making sperm, an activity complying with the sexual reproduction rather than asexual reproduction, making it more likely for more organisms claiming to be ancient asexuals to in fact reproduce sexually.

In addition, according to Muller’s ratchet, by geneticist Hermann Muller, “asexuals are evolutionarily short-lived because” (226). This theory shows that sexual reproduction is better because asexual reproduction will lead to an evolutionary halt which is detrimental to the organism.

Another benefit stemming from sexual reproduction, is the lack of exposure to diseases and a better way to fight the disease. As stated when referring to asexual reproduction, asexual organisms are more vulnerable to the disease because all the organisms are the same. “...the disease has more chances to evolve to infiltrate the target” (229). But for those that reproduce sexually, the disease wouldn’t be able to affect everyone because the organisms that sexually reproduce would evolve to fight the disease rather than the disease evolving to fight the organism.

However, although the benefits of reproducing sexually outweigh those of asexual reproduction, there are some organisms that have been successful when reproducing asexually. Escherichia coli, commonly referred to as E. Coli, reproduce asexually, as they use binary fission, where they divide into two genetically identical cells. They then obtain new genes through sex.

As shown by Judson, the benefits of sexual reproduction clearly outweigh the benefits of asexual reproduction although there are downsides for both clearly mentioned.

But reading about viruses piqued my interest the most. I want to understand the specific processes on how viruses reproduce. I want to understand the specific processes, and how best scientists could target the reproduction process regarding the virus reproduction so that for example, a new flu vaccine to target influenza viruses will not need to be made annually and that one vaccine could stop the reproduction process.