Reproduction in Plants

Flowering plants reproduce sexually i.e. by the fusion of the male and female gametes.

Sexual reproduction in man usually involves two distinct organisms however, in plants,
the reproductive organ, the flower produces both male and female gametes.

Objective: Describe the life cycle of a typical flowering plant.

Lifecycle of Flowering Plant:

1. Plant grows, matures and produces flowers.
2. Flowers are pollinated and fertilized and fruits are formed which contain seeds.
3. Seeds are dispersed to new places where they germinate into seedlings.
4. Seedlings grow and mature into plants.

Objective: Distinguish between pollination and fertilization.

Pollination is the bringing of male and female gametes closer together whereas
fertilization is the fusion of the male and female gametes.

Objective: Relate the parts of the flower to their functions.

DIAGRAM OF THE STRUCTURE OF A TYPICAL FLOWER

The flower is constructed to protect, house and bring together the male and female
gamete. A typical flower has 5 main parts:

1. Gynaecium: produces and contains the female gamete. Is made up of the stigma,
style and ovary containing ovule.

2. Androecium: Produces and contains the male gamete. Is made up of the anther
containing pollen grains and the filament.

3. Corolla: attracts pollinators to the flower. Is made up of petals which are brightly
colored and scented.

4. Calyx: protects the flower in the bud stage. Is made of the sepal.

5. Receptacle: holds the flower and then after pollination and fertilization, the fruit
and seed.

Objective: Distinguish between self-pollination and cross-pollination.

Self-pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of the same
plant whereas cross-pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther of one
plant to the stigma of flowers on another plant of the same species.
Objective: Compare the structure of an insect-pollinated flower and a wind pollinated
flower.

In plants, the male and female gametes are usually brought together by wind or animals
such as insect or birds.

Insect-Pollinated Flowers
Flowers which depend on insects and birds to aid in pollination have adapted to attract
these organisms.
Insect-pollinated flowers will:
- Have large, bright petals and strong scents.
- Have nectar which serves as a food source for the animals.

When a bird or insect comes to the flower, the pollen grains rub off on its body and as
they move to the next flower, the pollen grains get rubbed off onto the stigma of that
flower.

Wind-Pollinated Flowers
Flowers which depend on the wind for dispersal of pollen and to aid in pollination look
very different from their insect-pollinated counterparts.
Wind-pollinated flowers will:
- Look inconspicuous or small as they do not need to attract insects or birds.
They are specialized in was which allow their pollen grains to be picked up by the wind
and caught by the stigma.
- Have stamens that hang out of the flower so the wind can easily pick up pollen.
- Have large, branched and feathery stigmas to maximize contact with the wind and
thus contact with the pollen the wind may be carrying.
 - Produce large quantities of pollen grains maximizing the chance that they come
into contact with the stigma of a plant of the same species.
- Produce pollen grains that are smooth and light so that they can be easily carried
and dispersed by the wind.

Objective: Describe the process of fertilization

Fertilization is the fusion of the male and female gamete.

After pollination, the pollen grain begins to grow a pollen tube down the style towards
the ovary by secreting enzymes which digest a pathway through the style.

The ovary is surrounded by several

layers of cells called integuments.
At one end, there is a small hole in the
integuments called the micropyle.
The pollen tube grows through the
micropyle into the ovule.

The male gamete travels along the pollen

tube and into the ovule and fuses with
the female gamete. Fertilization has now
taken place.
One pollen grain can only fertilize one
ovule. If there are many ovules, in the
ovary, then many pollen grains will be
needed to fertilize them all.
Objective: Explain how fruit and seed formation occur after fertilization.

Once the ovules have been fertilized, many parts of the flower are not needed anymore.
The petals, stigma, style and stamen all wither away and fall off, Sepals may or may not
remain.

Inside the ovary, the ovules begin to grow into seeds and the ovary itself grows into
the fruit.

The structure of the fruit and seed of a dicotyledonous plant are directly related to the
structure of the ovary and ovules in the flower.

Objective: Describe the structure of a fruit.

The wall of the fruit is called the pericarp

as is composed of 3 layers: epicarp (aka
exocarp), mesocarp and endocarp.

Objective: Discuss the importance of fruit and seed dispersal.

The fruit containing the seeds is firmly attached to the plant as it develops. Once matured,
it is dispersed or sent away from the parent plant.
Dispersal is important for TWO reasons:
1. Prevents overcrowding and thus competition for light, space, minerals.
2. Allows colonization of new habitats.

Most plants depend on help from wind, water and animals to disperse their seeds. Others
do so entirely on their own.

Each fruit is highly specialized in structure, size, shape and composition for its type of
dispersal.

Objective: Describe adaptations of fruit and seed for dispersal by animals, water, wind
and explosive mechanism.

Dispersal by Animals
In some fruit, the mesocarp is fleshy and delicious which attracts animals who use them
as a food source.
Fruit is green and unscented when immature but can become colorful and scented once
mature (ripe) to attract animals.

Animals will pick fruit and eat. If seeds

are large (mango) they may be discarded
in another area or spit out.

If seeds are small (most berries), they

may be eaten and egested in another
location.
Seeds which have hooks or spikes may be dispersed by becoming attached to the animal
and dropping off at another location.

Dispersal by Water
Fruits dispersed by water must be buoyant and light. They may be adapted by having an
epicarp that is waterproof and a mesocarp that is fibrous and light e.g. coconut.
Dispersal by Wind
Fruits and seeds dispersed by the wind
must be light e.g. dandelion. They have
radiated threads attached to them that
form a parachute to capture the wind.

Some seeds may have wind-like

structures e.g. mahogany.

Dispersal by Explosive Device aka Self-Dispersal aka Mechanical Dispersal

As these fruits mature, they dry and split to eject their seeds.