WRITTEN REPORT

TOPIC: Plant Reproduction and Development

REPORTERS: Alex Jethro Oida, Maricar Avila
OBJECTIVES:
- Describe the structure and function of reproductive organs of plants
- Describe alternation of generation in plant
CONCEPTS TO BE DISCUSSED:
CLASSIFICATION OF PLANTS
- Plants are multicellular organisms that are predominantly photosynthetic. They have
been around 500 million years ago and is believed that they evolved from green algae.
- In order to survive the conditions in the early times, plants had to adapt and evolve new
mechanisms, therefore giving rise to the vascular and non-vascular plants.
VASCULAR PLANTS
- Also known as the tracheophytes
- They form a large group of land plants that have specialized lignified tissues that
transports water (xylem) and minerals (phloem) throughout the plant.
- Plants had to have a more efficient water transport system in their body to escape from
the constraints of having a small size. This later evolved and allowed them to grow
bigger than their previous size.
REPRODUCTION
- There are different reproductions in vascular plants, depending on what type it is.
Gymnosperms
- “naked seeds”
- They vascular plants that does not flower. Instead, they have a cone that grows on their
branches. However, there are 2 types of cones that grow in gymnosperms. This cones
are the gametophyte generation of the tree. The female cones are the ones that have
the female gamete (ovule) and they usually grow on the upper branches. On the other
hand, the male cones have the male gamete (sperm) of the plant and they usually grow
on the lower branches. The male cones are much smaller than the female ones and they
produce the pollen that will be dispersed in the wind current in hopes of reaching the
female cone.
- Once the pollen reaches the female cone, it will fertilize the ovule and it will have months
to years of interval for the cone to ripen and disperse the seed via wind channels with
the help of seed wings.
- The seed will later give rise to another sporophyte generation (tree).
- In some cases, the cone will only open up under extreme conditions like the lodgepole
pine that opens its cones under extreme heat because they are commonly found in
Western America where forest fires are common.
 Angiosperms

- Flowering plants
- Their most notable feature is their flower that plays a role in their reproduction.
- Unlike gymnosperms, angiosperms seeds are found inside the flower and this flowers
have male or female reproductive organ.
- The stamen is the male organ of a flower. It is made up of anther that produces the
male gametophyte (pollen), and the filament that supports the anther. On the other
hand, the carpel (also known as pistil) is the female organ of a flower. It consists of a
bowling pin shaped stigma that collects the pollen grains from the anther. It is
connected to the style, a tube like structure that connects the stigma and ovary and
allows the pollen grains in the stigma to travel through. Once the pollen reaches the
ovary, it will fertilize the egg in the ovule (female gametophyte) and form a fruit around
the seed.
- There are also some axillary parts that helps the flower in reproduction. The sepals
were once the covering of the unopened flower. Once the flower opens, its petals help
attract pollinators like bees, hummingbirds, bats, and any more with its bright colors. The
nectary also helps attract pollinators with its sugary solution called nectar.
- There are also flowers called perfect flowers that have both the male and female
organs. They are also called bisexual flowers. These flowers can do self-pollination.
Some examples of this are hibiscus/gumamela, roses, and lilies.
- Flowers that only have 1 reproductive organ, either male or female, are called unisexual
flowers or incomplete flowers. Example of these are cucumber, pumpkin, and
watermelon. Unlike perfect flowers, they can only rely on cross pollination via wind
channels and pollinators.

Seedless Vascular Plants

- This kind of plants have vascular tissues, but do not produce flowers or seeds.
- These plants produce spores instead of seeds that can be easily dispersed by the winds
and spread to new habitats.
- However, they still depend on water in order for the sperm to fertilize the egg. That’s why
these plants are common in damp places.
- An example of a seedless vascular plant is a fern. A fern produces sporangia
(Sporophyte) under its leaves that can be dispersed by winds to damp places. Once the
spore reaches a perfect environment, it will give rise to another plant that produces the
sperm and egg (Gametophyte) of the fern. With the help of water, the sperm can fertilize
the egg and it will grow into a new sporophyte fern.
NON-VASCULAR PLANTS
- Also known as bryophytes
- Characterized as the plants without vascular tissues, these plants were the first ones to
evolve due to their small size and their lack of specialized structures like stems, leaves,
and a root system. Instead of roots, they have rhizoids that help them anchor on the
ground and absorb water and minerals.
- Some examples of non-vascular plants are mosses, liverworts, and hornworts
REPRODUCTION
- Non-vascular plants can reproduce sexually or asexually. In asexual reproduction, a
fragment of plant and grows as a genetically identical plant. Sexual reproduction, on the
other hand, is a much more complicated process.
- Sexual reproduction in non-vascular plants is a 2-part cycle called alternation of
generation. They produce spores in their asexual sporophyte stage and generates
sperm and eggs in the sexual gametophyte stage.
- Some non-vascular plants can be monoecious, meaning they produce both male
(microspores) and female spores (megaspores) in the same plant. Some can also be
dioecious that produces male and female spores on different plants.
- Once they reach the sexual gametophyte stage, they will produce the sex cells of plants.
The sperm of plants have a similar structure to human’s. It needs water as a medium for
swimming in order to fertilize the egg.
ALTERNATION OF GENERATION
- Also called as metagenesis or heterogenesis
- It is a type of life cycle that occurs in plants and algae
- It is the alternation of sexual and asexual phase in the life cycle of an organism
- It is divided into 2 morphologically and chromosomally distinct phases

Gametophyte
- The sexual phase of the organism
- In this phase, the sex organs are developed and the gametes are produced
- In terms of chromosomes, gametophytes are haploid (single set of chromosomes) and
the sex cells will undergo fertilization to form a diploid (double set of chromosome)
zygote
- In bryophytes, gametophyte is their dominant life stage

Sporophyte
- The asexual phase of the organism
- This is the diploid multicellular phase of the organism
- It develops from the zygote produced when a haploid egg cell is fertilized by the haploid
sperm, giving 2 sets of chromosomes
- Sporophytes can produce haploid spores via meiosis, giving rise to another generation
of gametophyes
- In tracheophytes, sporophyte is their dominant life stage

- SEED GERMINATION AND DEVELOPMENT

- INCLUDE DISCUSSION ABOUT MEGASPORE AND MICROSPORE IN PLANTS AS

WELL AS DIFFERENT TYPES OF SPORES

- I WANT TO SEE YOUR QUIZ and PPT BEFORE YOU REPORT