Which of the following is NOT an example of an organism that uses asexual reproduction?

• A. Flower
• B. Cat
• C. Starfish
• D. Bacteria

Answer: (B)

Asexual reproduction means making a new individual without fertilization, producing offspring that are essentially clones of the parent. This happens in several ways across different organisms. Bacteria divide by binary fission, yielding a near-identical copy. Starfish can reproduce by fragmentation, where a part of the body grows into a whole new individual. Many plants can propagate vegetatively, such as through runners, bulbs, or cuttings, without seeds.

A cat, however, reproduces sexually, needing a male and female to mate and fertilize an egg, which introduces genetic variation. Because it relies on two parents and fertilization, the cat is not an example of an organism that uses asexual reproduction.