In asexual reproduction, genetic variation is not passed down as the offspring are exact genetic copies of the parent. The genetic material of the parent is replicated, and the copies are distributed to the daughter cells without any exchange or recombination of genetic information. This results in a lack of diversity in the offspring and a reduced ability to adapt to changing environments. However, some forms of asexual reproduction, such as budding in yeast or fragmentation in starfish, can occasionally produce genetic variation due to errors in DNA replication or changes in chromosome number.