In certain simple animals like Hydra, a reproductive outgrowth forms at one site and later detaches as an independent organism. This process is known…

The correct option is Budding.

Explanation

Asexual reproduction involves the production of offspring from a single parent without the fusion of gametes. Various organisms employ distinct mechanisms such as fission, budding, fragmentation, and regeneration based on their biological complexity.

Analysis of Options:

• Budding Budding: This is the correct answer. In Hydra, a bud develops as an outgrowth due to repeated cell division at one specific site. These buds develop into tiny individuals and, when fully mature, detach from the parent body to become new independent individuals.
• Fragmentation Fragmentation: This process involves the breaking of the parent body into distinct pieces or fragments, each of which grows into an adult organism. This is characteristic of organisms like Spirogyra.
• Regeneration Regeneration: This is the ability of an organism to regrow lost parts or for a cut body part to develop into a complete organism (e.g., Planaria). While Hydra possesses high regenerative capacity, the specific reproductive method involving a distinct outgrowth is budding.
• Multiple fission Multiple fission: This involves the division of the parent organism into many daughter cells simultaneously. It is commonly observed in protozoans like Plasmodium.

Key Takeaway: Budding is a specific mode of asexual reproduction where a new organism develops from an outgrowth or bud due to cell division at one particular site on the parent organism.