# A student states: 'Sexual reproduction in animals always involves both internal fertilisation and the production of large numbers of offspring.' Evaluate this statement.

> Edexcel A-Level Biology A: Salters-Nuffield (9BN0) — 2.3 Sexual reproduction in animals and plants · Evaluate · 5 marks

> Sexual reproduction in animals involves the fusion of male and female gametes. Gametes are haploid cells produced by meiosis. The resulting zygote is a diploid cell that develops into a new organism.

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Fertilisation is the fusion of a male gamete and a female gamete / haploid cells fuse to form a diploid zygote
2. The student is correct that internal fertilisation occurs in some animals (e.g. mammals / birds / reptiles)
3. The student is incorrect because some animals use external fertilisation (e.g. fish / amphibians / frogs)
4. Animals that use external fertilisation tend to produce large numbers of offspring / gametes because many are lost / not fertilised
5. Animals that use internal fertilisation typically produce fewer offspring because the chance of fertilisation / survival is greater / offspring are protected inside the body

## Key terms

- [fertilisation](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/fertilisation)
- [internal fertilisation](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/internal-fertilisation)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Edexcel A-Level Biology A: Salters-Nuffield (9BN0)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Evaluate" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/a-student-states-sexual-reproduction-in-82646899) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.