Gemmation (Noun)
Meaning
Asexual reproduction in which a local growth on the surface or in the body of the parent becomes a separate individual.
Classification
Nouns denoting natural processes.
Examples
- Hydra performs a unique form of asexual reproduction called gemmation, where small buds form on the parent's body and eventually break off to form new individuals.
- Gemmation is a common reproductive strategy in plants and some invertebrate animals, allowing them to quickly colonize new areas.
- The flatworms reproduce through a process called gemmation, where a section of their body breaks off and develops into a new individual.
- Sponges are simple multicellular animals that reproduce through gemmation, where buds form on their surface and eventually break off to form new sponges.
- Some species of corals reproduce through gemmation, where a polyp breaks off from the parent colony and settles on a new substrate to form a new colony.