Question

Explain in your own words why sexual reproduction can be useful if a protist’s environment changes.

Short answer

In the protists, when the conditions are not favorable thensexual reproduction permitsrecombination of genes between the parents, which gives rise to offspring, which are unique genetically. These offspring would possess better chances of survival in comparison to offspring generated from the asexual mode of reproduction.

Step-by-step solution

Introduction

The mode of reproduction in which gametes, that is, the male and female sex cells produced by the process ofmeiosis go through the process of fertilization, that is, the fusion of male and female gamete to give rise to a diploid zygote is known as sexual reproduction.

The unicellular eukaryotes that come under the kingdom Protista are known as protists. They possess the tendency to reproduce both sexually and asexually.

Explanation

In protists, sexual reproduction takes place when theconditions are not favorable. In the sexual mode of reproduction, therecombination of genestakes place between both the parents, which allows them to generate offspring, which are unique genetically. These offspring would possess better chances ofsurvival in a novel environment, and thus possesses the tendency toadapt well.

Sexual reproduction gives rise togenetic variation, which permits organisms to co-evolve with other species, permitting species with the tendency to get better briskly. On the other hand, the asexual mode of reproduction does not lead to genetic variation, thus, reducing the survival chances of species in novel surroundings.

Thus, during environmental modifications, sexual reproduction becomes useful in the case of protists.