Which statement is true about the negatives of sexual reproduction?

Which statement is true about the negatives of sexual reproduction?

• A. It is fast and energy-efficient.
• B. It eliminates infection risk.
• C. It is costly.
• D. It ensures offspring are identical to parent.

Answer: (C)

The main idea here is that sexual reproduction comes with significant energy and time costs. Producing specialized reproductive cells, finding a mate, and enabling fertilization all require substantial resources and effort from the organism, so this is a costly process. That’s why the statement about it being costly is the true negative of sexual reproduction. The other options don’t fit because, in contrast, sexual reproduction is not fast and energy-efficient; it typically takes more time and energy than asexual reproduction. It does not eliminate infection risk—mating and close contact can expose organisms to pathogens. And it does not produce offspring identical to the parent—meiosis and fertilization introduce genetic variation, so the offspring are typically different from the parent.

The main idea here is that sexual reproduction comes with significant energy and time costs. Producing specialized reproductive cells, finding a mate, and enabling fertilization all require substantial resources and effort from the organism, so this is a costly process. That’s why the statement about it being costly is the true negative of sexual reproduction.

The other options don’t fit because, in contrast, sexual reproduction is not fast and energy-efficient; it typically takes more time and energy than asexual reproduction. It does not eliminate infection risk—mating and close contact can expose organisms to pathogens. And it does not produce offspring identical to the parent—meiosis and fertilization introduce genetic variation, so the offspring are typically different from the parent.