Sexual reproduction is the only way to create heritable variation within a populationQuestion 19Select one:TrueFalse

The statement "Sexual reproduction is the only way to create heritable variation within a population" is False.

Explanation:

1. Understanding Heritable Variation: Heritable variation refers to differences in traits among organisms that are passed on to offspring through genetic inheritance.

2. Ways to Create Variation:

   • Sexual Reproduction: Involves the combination of genetic material from two parents, leading to genetic variation through processes such as crossing over and independent assortment during meiosis.
   • Asexual Reproduction: While often resulting in genetically identical offspring, some forms of asexual reproduction, like horizontal gene transfer (common in bacteria), can introduce genetic variation.
   • Mutations: Random changes in DNA can occur in both sexually and asexually reproducing organisms, contributing to heritable variation over time.

3. Conclusion: Since heritable variation can arise from mutations and mechanisms not limited to sexual reproduction, the answer to the question is False.