Reproduction among Flowering plants
Plants are living organisms. They can create offspring through reproduction
Plants have two ways of reproduction: Sexual and asexual reproduction.
Plants are living organisms that means they need to reproduce in order to pass on their genes to
the future generations. Plants can create offspring through either sexual or asexual reproduction
Sexual Reproduction
Sexual reproduction requires genetic material (DNA) from two parents.
Gametes – Male and Female sex cells of plants
Fertilization is a process where the genetic materials from the male and female gametes
combines to produce offspring.
Sexual reproduction requires genetic materials or DNA from two parents. The parent plants have
male and female sex cells called gametes. The genetic material from the male and Females
gametes combines to produces offspring. This process is called fertilization
Fertilization
Seeds produced through fertilization contain genetic material from both parents, as a result the
offspring are not genetically identical to either of that parent plants. This genetic diversity can
help them survive if the environment changes
Flowering plants reproduce sexually through a process called pollination. The flowers contain
male sex organs called stamens and female sex organs called pistils. The anther is the part of the
stamen that contains pollen. This pollen needs to be moved to a part of the pistils called the
stigma.
Plants can either self-pollinate or cross-pollinate.
Self-pollination happens when a plant’s own pollen fertilizes its own ovules.
Cross-pollination happens when the wind or animals move pollen from one plant to
fertilize the ovules on a different plant.
Cross Pollination
The advantage of a cross pollination is that it promotes genetic diversity.
Self Pollination
some plants have features that prevent self-pollination such as pollen and ovules that develop at
different times
Pollinators are animals that carry pollen between plants
Examples:
Bees, butterflies, moths and beetles
The colors and smells of a flower often attract pollinators, pollen will stick to a pollinator’s body
as it fits on the flowers nectar.
Fertilization is the next step after pollination. Once it reaches the pistils,
The pollen needs to fertilize an egg inside the stigma. This eggs called an ovule.
Fertilization creates fruits that contain seeds.
Asexual Reproduction
Only requires DNA from one parent
Creates offspring that are genetically identical to the parent
Genetically identical offspring are called clones
Clones lack genetic diversity which makes them less adaptable to change in the
environment
Methods of asexual reproduction
Vegetative Propagation
Fragmentation
Vegetative Propagation
Does not require seeds or spores. Instead, offspring grow a part of the parent plant
In different plants vegetative propagation happens in different ways
Example:
Garlic, Onions and tulip plants all reproduce using true bulbs.
This short underground stems are also scaly bulbs they have a basal plates that is usually
surrounded by modified leaves these leaves form a paper recovering a tunic new bugs grow
off the parent bugs basal plate
Potato plants reproduce using tubers.
This underground growth new plants from stems or growing points called ices
Ginger plants reproduce using rhizomes.
These stems that grow sideways along the soil or just the surface they branch a part to
produce new points of growth
Fragmentation
Is another form of asexual reproduction. It involves new plants growing from small
Parts of the parent plants that fall to the ground. For example, animals or the wind can break
Stems or leaves off plants. This is one of the ways that plants like liverworts and mosses
reproduce
Exercises:
I. Label the following parts of a flower on a diagram.
Answer key:
II. Circle the correct answer.
1. What is the male reproductive part of a flower called? A
a) Pistil
b) Stamen
c) Petal
d) Sepal
2. What is the process called when pollen is transferred from the anther to the stigma? C
a) Fertilization
b) Germination
c) Pollination
d) Seed dispersal
3. What is the name of the structure that develops from a fertilized ovule? B
a) Fruit
b) Seed
c) Pollen grain
d) Embryo sac
4. What is the process called when a pollen tube grows down the style and reaches the
ovule? B
a) Pollination
b) Fertilization
c) Germination
d) Seed dispersal
5. Which of the following statements about pollination is TRUE? B
a) Pollination always occurs between flowers of the same species.
b) Pollination can occur between flowers of different species.
c) Pollination is not necessary for fertilization to occur.
d) Pollination occurs only through the action of wind.
III. Explain the difference between self-pollination and cross-pollination.
Answer:
Self-pollination: Pollen from the same flower or another flower on the same plant
fertilizes the ovules.
Cross-pollination: Pollen from a different plant of the same species fertilizes the ovules.
