since sponges cannot move, each individual can only fertilize its own egg during sexual reproduction

The sperm cell upon finding the egg cell will penetrate it so that their genetic material could combine as one full set (diploid). In higher forms of animals, the male and the female usually of the same species engage in sexual intercourse to bring the gametes closer, for the union. The male gamete usually has to find and swim its way to the ovum. In males, the mature gamete is a sperm cell (also called a spermatozoon). In females, the mature gamete is an egg cell (also called an ovum). Each haploid cell, then, undergoes maturation to become fully-differentiated gamete (sex cell). As such, it gives rise to four haploid cells. Meiosis is a form of cell division wherein a cell goes through two sequential cell divisions. It begins with the primordial cells dividing mitotically and then each of them will undergo meiosis.

In brief, gametogenesis is a biological process that incorporates cell divisions, particularly mitosis and meiosis, to produce gametes (sex cells). Sexual reproduction incorporates fundamental processes such as gametogenesis and fertilization.

There are two modes of reproduction: sexual and asexual. Two major types of sexual reproduction are syngamy and conjugation. Furthermore, it ensures that the chromosome number of a particular species will remain the same across generations. Nonetheless, sexual reproduction has the advantage over asexual reproduction in increasing genetic variation and expanding the gene pool. This is in contrast to asexual reproduction where an organism reproduces without involving gametes and the resulting offspring is a clone of the parent. The zygote develops into an individual organism that is genetically distinct from the parent organisms. The fusion of these gametes occurs at fertilization resulting in the formation of a diploid zygote. Sexual reproduction is a mode of reproduction involving the fusion of haploid female gamete (egg cell) and haploid male gamete ( sperm cell). Sexual reproduction in single-celled organisms.

Table 1: Differences between sexual reproduction and asexual reproduction.

Since sponges cannot move, each individual can only fertilize its own egg during sexual reproduction