SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

Sexual reproduction creates variation in a population. It is the role of the male and female
reproductive systems to ensure that the male and female gametes meet, fertilisation takes place,
the new individual has the best chances of survival.

MEIOSIS IN PLANTS

Flowering plants carry out sexual reproduction. The flower contains an ovary where meiosis occurs
to make haploid ovules (eggs), the female gamete.

Flowers also have anthers where meiosis produces haploid pollen, the male gamete. The major
reproductive structures of a flower are shown below.

The stamen is the male part of a flower. Most flowers have several stamens. A single stamen has
two parts: a thread-like filament and a knob-like anther. The anther is at the top of the filament. An
anther makes a powdery substance called pollen. Pollen is made of a great number of pollen
grains. Pollen grains are the sperm cells of a plant.

The carpel is the female part of a flower. It is normally located in the centre of the flower – inside
the circle of stamens. Some flowers have more than one carpel. The lower part of the carpel
bulges. This bulge is the ovary. An ovary contains one or more ovules. Each ovule has an egg cell.

New diploid offspring are produced when a pollen grain is deposited on the stigma and travels
down the style to the ovary. Fertilisation of an egg by a pollen grain takes place in the ovule. A
fertilised egg becomes a seed.
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MEIOSIS IN ANIMALS

Most animals produce offspring by sexual reproduction. In females, meiosis takes place in the
ovaries, producing haploid eggs. In males, meiosis occurs in the testes, producing haploid sperm.
The figures below show the structures of the human female and male reproductive systems and
the function of each organ.
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FERTILISATION

When a single egg and a single sperm fuse in an animal, or when an ovule and a pollen cell fuse in
a plant, fertilisation takes place and new offspring are created.

Many animal sperm swims towards an egg but only one penetrates and fertilises the egg to create
a zygote.

Each gamete (sex cell) carries a haploid number of chromosomes resulting in a diploid offspring.
Cells then divide by mitosis to develop into a new individual.
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QUESTIONS

1. Name the organ in the human female reproductive system in which the eggs are produced and
mature.

ovaries

2. Name the organ in the human female reproductive system that carries the egg towards the
uterus.

Fallopian tube

3. In which human reproductive organ does fertilisation normally take place?

Fallopian tube

4. Describe the role of the epididymis.

It stores sperm cells that are produced in the testes

5. Describe the function of the testes.

Produces and matures sperm cells as well as male hormones

6. What are the male gametes called in flowering plants?

Pollen grains

7. What is the difference between a haploid gamete and a diploid zygote?

Haploid gamete has half the number of chromosomes than a zygote

8. Write true (T) or false (F) next to the sentences below.

(a) A flower is an organ of sexual reproduction: T

(b) All plants reproduce sexually: F

(c) The most important parts of a flower are the stamens and the carpel: T

(d) Stamens are female parts: F

(e) Stamens make egg cells: F

(f) A fertilised egg becomes a seed: T

9. What happens to the cervix in females when a child is about to be born?

The cervix stretches during childbirth

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10. Complete the sentences below using the words in the box.

GAMETE, MALE, SEXUAL, INTERNAL, FERTILISATION, EGGS, OVARIES, SPERM,

EXTERNAL, TWO, TESTES, FEMALE.

Most animals reproduce by (1) reproduction.

1: sexual

Sexual reproduction needs (2) parents. One parent is a (3); the other parent is a (4).

2: two

3: male

4: female

A male or female sex cell is called a (5).

5: gamete

Male gametes are called (6).

6: sperm

Female gametes are called (7).

7: eggs

Sperm cells are produced by organs called (8).

8: testes

Eggs are produced by organs called (9).

9: ovaries

The link-up of a sperm nucleus with an egg nucleus is called (10).

10: fertilisation

Fertilisation that takes place outside the body is called (11) fertilisation.

11: external

Fertilisation that takes place within the female’s body is called (12) fertilisation.

12: internal
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11. Write true (T) or false (F) next to the sentences below.

(a) Only animals reproduce sexually: F

(b) All animals reproduce sexually: F (hydra)

(c) Sexual reproduction needs two parents: T

(d) Females produce egg gametes: T

(e) Males produce sperm gametes: T

(f) Egg gametes are free-moving: F

(g) Egg gametes are larger than sperm: T

(h) Many sperm fertilise one egg: F

(i) A fertilised egg divides many, many times: T

(j) An embryo is a full-grown organism: F

12. Use these words – ovule, ovary, filament, anther, style, stigma – to match the numbers shown
in the diagram below.

A: Stigma

B: Style

C: Anther

D: Filament
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E: Ovule

F: Ovary

13. Explain the function of the following reproductive organs.

(a) Uterus:

Nurtures the fertilised ovum

(b) Prostate Gland:

Secretes prostate fluid to make sperm into semen

The time between fertilisation and birth is called gestation time. Gestation time varies greatly with
different animals. This is shown in the table below.

Animal Hamster Mouse Rabbit Dog Lion Chimp Human Cow Horse Elephant
Gestation 16.5 21 30 63 108 237 267 281 336 660
Time days days days day days days days day days days
s s

14. Is gestation time related to the size of the animal. Explain.

Yes, according to the table, smaller animals have smaller gestation times

15. Which animal on the chart has the longest gestation time?

Elephant

16. Which animal on the chart has the shortest gestation time?

hamster
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