Types of Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction happens in two main ways: internally or externally. In internal fertilization, sperm fertilizes the egg inside the female's body. This method is used by mammals, birds, reptiles, insects, and spiders, providing protection for the developing embryo.
External fertilization happens outside the female's body. The female releases eggs into the environment, and then the male releases sperm to fertilize them. This method is common in aquatic environments and used by fish and many amphibians.
Plants and fungi also reproduce sexually but use different structures - pollen in plants and spores in fungi serve similar purposes to animal gametes, allowing genetic material to combine and create offspring with traits from both parents.
Connection: External fertilization typically produces many more offspring than internal fertilization, but fewer tend to survive to adulthood!