USA Biology Olympiad (USABO) Practice Exam

Which process involves the spontaneous generation of a new organism from a fragment of the parent organism?

1. Budding

2. Fission

3. Grafting

4. Duplication

The correct answer is: Budding

Budding is a form of asexual reproduction where a new organism develops from a small projection or bud that forms on the parent organism. This process can occur in various organisms, such as yeast, hydra, and certain plants. The new organism grows and eventually separates from the parent, although in some cases, it may remain attached for a time, forming a colony. The characteristic feature of budding is that it involves a fragment or outgrowth from the parent organism, which develops into a new individual. This distinguishes it from other forms of reproduction such as fission, where an organism divides into two or more separate entities, or grafting, which typically refers to the horticultural technique of joining two plants together. Duplication does not refer to a biological reproductive process but rather to replication or copying in a more general sense. Therefore, the accurate description of the spontaneous generation of a new organism from a fragment of the parent organism aligns perfectly with the concept of budding.