Reproduction in Animals — Class 8 Science NCERT Solutions (Free)
Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 8 Science chapter "Reproduction in Animals" — 8 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board exam preparation.
TL;DR: Free step-by-step NCERT solutions for Class 8 Science chapter "Reproduction in Animals" — 8 important questions with detailed answers for CBSE board e…
Written & reviewed by the Syllab.in Academic Team (CBSE/NCERT subject experts) · Updated
NCERT Solutions for Class 8 Science — Reproduction in Animals. Step-by-step answers to all 8 textbook questions from this chapter, written for CBSE board preparation and free to use.
Reproduction in Animals — All 8 Questions Solved
Q1. What is reproduction?
Reproduction is the biological process by which living organisms produce new individuals of the same species. It ensures continuity of species and is essential for life on Earth. Two main types: asexual and sexual reproduction.
Q2. Distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction.
Asexual reproduction: single parent, no gamete fusion, offspring identical to parent (clones), examples: budding in hydra, fission in amoeba. Sexual reproduction: two parents, gamete fusion, offspring genetically different, examples: mammals, birds, most plants.
Q3. What is budding? Name the organism where it occurs.
Budding is asexual reproduction where a small outgrowth (bud) develops on parent body, grows, and detaches to form new individual. Occurs in: hydra, yeast, sponges. The bud is genetically identical to the parent.
Q4. What is binary fission? Give an example.
Binary fission is asexual reproduction where a single-celled organism divides into two identical daughter cells. Steps: cell nucleus replicates, cytoplasm divides, two genetically identical cells form. Example: amoeba and bacteria.
Q5. Explain the process of sexual reproduction in animals.
Sexual reproduction involves: 1) Male produces sperm (gamete) in testes, 2) Female produces ovum (gamete) in ovaries, 3) Fertilization: sperm fuses with ovum forming zygote, 4) Zygote develops into embryo, 5) Offspring born or hatched. Results in genetic variation.
Q6. What is the difference between oviparous and viviparous animals?
Oviparous: lay eggs outside body, embryo develops in egg with yolk, independent development. Examples: birds, reptiles, insects. Viviparous: fertilized egg retained in uterus, receives nutrition from mother via placenta, live young born. Examples: mammals like humans.
Q7. Define metamorphosis and give two examples.
Metamorphosis is the process of drastic physical change in body structure and form during animal development. Two types: complete (egg → larva → pupa → adult) example: butterfly; incomplete (egg → nymph → adult) example: grasshopper.
Q8. What is the role of hormones in animal reproduction?
Hormones regulate reproductive processes: testosterone stimulates sperm production in males, estrogen and progesterone regulate ovulation and pregnancy in females. Growth hormones control development. Hormones coordinate timing, maturation, and successful reproduction.
Reproduction in Animals — Practice MCQs with Answers
Attempt these 20 multiple-choice questions after working through the solutions above. Each carries the correct option and the reasoning behind it, so a wrong answer tells you which idea to revisit.
MCQ 1. What is the process of fusion of male and female gametes called?
- A. Fertilization
- B. Budding
- C. Fission
- D. Metamorphosis
Answer: A. Fertilization — Fertilization is the process where a male gamete (sperm) fuses with a female gamete (ovum) to form a zygote.
MCQ 2. Which of the following is NOT a part of the female reproductive system in humans?
- A. Oviduct
- B. Uterus
- C. Testis
- D. Ovary
Answer: C. Testis — The testis is a primary male reproductive organ responsible for producing sperm and male hormones. Oviduct, uterus, and ovary are parts of the female reproductive system.
MCQ 3. What is the male gamete in humans called?
- A. Ovum
- B. Sperm
- C. Zygote
- D. Embryo
Answer: B. Sperm — The sperm is the male gamete, which carries genetic information from the male parent.
MCQ 4. Which type of fertilization occurs inside the body of the female?
- A. External fertilization
- B. Internal fertilization
- C. Asexual reproduction
- D. Binary fission
Answer: B. Internal fertilization — Internal fertilization is the fusion of male and female gametes inside the female body, common in mammals, birds, and reptiles.
MCQ 5. After fertilization, the single-celled zygote repeatedly divides to form a ball of cells. What is this developing structure called?
- A. Foetus
- B. Larva
- C. Embryo
- D. Gamete
Answer: C. Embryo — The zygote undergoes repeated cell divisions to form an embryo, which implants in the uterus and further develops into a foetus.
MCQ 6. Which of these animals reproduces by budding?
- A. Amoeba
- B. Hydra
- C. Frog
- D. Human
Answer: B. Hydra — Hydra reproduces asexually by budding, where a new individual develops from an outgrowth or bud on the parent body.
MCQ 7. Which of the following organisms reproduces by binary fission?
- A. Hydra
- B. Amoeba
- C. Frog
- D. Hen
Answer: B. Amoeba — Amoeba is a unicellular organism that reproduces asexually by binary fission, where the parent cell divides into two identical daughter cells.
MCQ 8. Animals that lay eggs are called:
- A. Viviparous
- B. Oviparous
- C. Hermaphrodite
- D. Unisexual
Answer: B. Oviparous — Oviparous animals are those that lay eggs, and the development of the embryo occurs outside the mother's body.
MCQ 9. Which of these animals is viviparous?
- A. Hen
- B. Frog
- C. Cow
- D. Fish
Answer: C. Cow — Viviparous animals give birth to live young that have developed inside the mother's body, like cows, humans, and dogs.
MCQ 10. The dramatic change in form during the life cycle of some animals, such as from a tadpole to an adult frog, is known as:
- A. Budding
- B. Metamorphosis
- C. Fertilization
- D. Encystment
Answer: B. Metamorphosis — Metamorphosis is a biological process by which an animal physically develops after birth or hatching, involving a conspicuous and relatively abrupt change in the animal's body structure through cell growth and differentiation.
MCQ 11. What is the stage of the embryo in which all the body parts can be identified?
- A. Zygote
- B. Embryo
- C. Foetus
- D. Larva
Answer: C. Foetus — The foetus is the stage of the embryo where all major body parts have developed and can be identified, and it continues to grow and mature.
MCQ 12. What is the female gamete in humans called?
- A. Sperm
- B. Ovum
- C. Zygote
- D. Foetus
Answer: B. Ovum — The ovum (egg cell) is the female gamete, which is typically much larger than the male gamete and contains nutrients for the developing embryo.
MCQ 13. In human females, fertilization typically takes place in the:
- A. Uterus
- B. Ovary
- C. Oviduct (Fallopian tube)
- D. Vagina
Answer: C. Oviduct (Fallopian tube) — Fertilization, the fusion of sperm and ovum, generally occurs in the oviduct (fallopian tube) before the zygote travels to the uterus.
MCQ 14. The single cell that results from the fusion of a sperm and an ovum is called a:
- A. Gamete
- B. Embryo
- C. Foetus
- D. Zygote
Answer: D. Zygote — A zygote is the diploid cell formed when two haploid gametes (sperm and ovum) fuse during fertilization. It is the first stage of development for a new organism.
MCQ 15. Which of the following is a characteristic of asexual reproduction?
- A. Involves fusion of gametes
- B. Produces genetically identical offspring
- C. Requires two parents
- D. Leads to genetic variation
Answer: B. Produces genetically identical offspring — Asexual reproduction involves a single parent and produces offspring that are genetically identical to the parent, as there is no fusion of gametes.
MCQ 16. Which of these animals is known to be a hermaphrodite, meaning it possesses both male and female reproductive organs?
- A. Human
- B. Frog
- C. Earthworm
- D. Hen
Answer: C. Earthworm — Earthworms are hermaphrodites, meaning each individual possesses both male and female reproductive organs, although they usually cross-fertilize with another earthworm.
MCQ 17. Reproduction is essential for the continuation of:
- A. Individual life
- B. Species
- C. Growth
- D. Digestion
Answer: B. Species — Reproduction ensures the survival of a species by producing new individuals, replacing those that die and allowing the species to adapt over generations.
MCQ 18. Which part of the sperm contains the genetic material?
- A. Tail
- B. Middle piece
- C. Head
- D. Neck
Answer: C. Head — The head of the sperm contains the nucleus, which carries the haploid set of chromosomes (genetic material) from the male parent.
MCQ 19. Why do aquatic animals like fish and frogs lay hundreds of eggs?
- A. To increase the chances of internal fertilization.
- B. To ensure the survival of at least some offspring in external fertilization.
- C. To provide food for other aquatic animals.
- D. To show off their reproductive capacity.
Answer: B. To ensure the survival of at least some offspring in external fertilization. — In aquatic environments, external fertilization is common, and there are high risks of eggs and offspring being eaten by predators or getting washed away. Laying many eggs increases the probability that some will survive to adulthood.
MCQ 20. In human females, where does the embryo get embedded after fertilization?
- A. Ovary
- B. Oviduct
- C. Uterus
- D. Vagina
Answer: C. Uterus — After fertilization and initial development, the embryo gets embedded in the wall of the uterus, where it continues to develop and grow.
How to Use These Solutions
Attempt each question yourself first and only then compare with the worked answer. Marks in the CBSE board exam are awarded for the METHOD as much as the final result, so reproduce the steps rather than memorising the last line. Where a solution states a law, a formula or a definition, learn that wording — examiners look for it.
Related practice for this chapter: chapter MCQs, previous-year questions, revision notes and sample papers.