How do hydra, a type of protist, primarily reproduce?

• A. By fragmentation
• B. By binary fission
• C. By spore formation
• D. By budding

Answer: (D)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand that hydra are not protists; they are simple multicellular organisms belonging to the phylum Cnidaria.
2. Recognize that hydra primarily reproduce asexually through a process called budding.
3. In budding, a new individual develops from an outgrowth or bud due to cell division at one particular site.
4. The bud remains attached to the parent hydra as it grows, eventually detaching to become an independent organism.
5. This method of reproduction allows hydra to rapidly increase their population in favorable conditions.