Unlike sexual reproduction, which requires genetic material from two parent organisms in order to create an offspring, asexual reproduction occurs when a single organism reproduces without the genetic input of another. Because of this, a single individual organism is able to produce a nearly exact copy of itself. Asexual reproduction is common among living things and takes a variety of forms.
Bacteria and Binary Fission
Many single-celled organisms rely on binary fission to reproduce themselves. All bacteria reproduce by binary fission.
Fragmentation and Blackworms
Many species of annelids (worms) reproduce via an asexual process called fragmentation. Included in this category of worms are California blackworms, or mudworms. These worms are hermaphroditic -- they have both male and female reproductive parts -- and can reproduce sexually. However, many times these worms will reproduce using fragmentation. In this case, blackworms can break apart and each consequential fragment can become a new worm.
Budding and Hydras
Hydras are a type of freshwater cnidarian related to jellyfish, sea anemones and corals. Hydras reproduce asexually by developing small, genetically identical polyps that protrude from the parent. These polyps break off from the parent to form a new organism in a process called "budding."
Parthenogenesis and Copperheads
Though most of the organisms that use asexual reproduction are invertebrates, several species of vertebrate animals do make use of it. Some, like copperhead snakes, can reproduce asexually as an alternative to their typical sexual reproduction. Through a process called parthenogenesis -- literally "virgin birth" -- copperhead females can give birth to live young without having been inseminated by a male, even when males are available, according to National Geographic. In this form of parthenogenesis, the polar body, or a cell produced alongside the female's egg, acts as a sperm cell and essentially "fertilizes" the egg. Parthenogenesis has been observed in several species of reptiles, birds and sharks, and is especially common in insects.
Vegetative Propagation and Strawberries