cell division
The process of cell division is how multicellular organisms grow and repair themselves. It is also how many organisms produce offspring. For many single-celled organisms, asexual reproduction is a similar process. The parent cell simply divides to form two daughter cells that are identical to the parent. Asexual reproduction produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent, whereas sexual reproduction produces a similar, but genetically unique offspring. In sexual reproduction, meiosis produces haploid gametes that fuse during fertilization to produce a diploid zygote Figure below . In other words, a child inherits half of the genetic material from each parent. Look at the family in Figure below . The children resemble their parents, but they are not identical to them. Instead, each has a unique combination of characteristics inherited from both parents. The children, of course, result from sexual reproduction.