Reproduction in Plants- Chapter: 12

R e p r o d u c ti o n
The process by which organisms produce their own kind is called reproduction.
or
The production of new individuals from their parents is called reproduction.

Types o f r e p r o d u c ti o n
Asexual reproduction
Sexual reproduction

A s e x u a l r e p r o d u c ti o n a n d S e x u a l r e p r o d u c ti o n
The type of reproduction in which new individuals are produced from a single parent is called asexual
reproduction.

The type of reproduction in which two parents

i.e. male and female are involved to produce new individuals is called sexual reproduction.

M o d e s o f a s e x u a l r e p r o d u c ti o n
Budding
Fragmentation
Spore formation
Vegetative propagation

1. Budding
 This type of reproduction is seen in Yeast. Yeast is a unicellular fungus.
 In this method a small bulb like projection/outgrowth comes out from a parent body (yeast cell) is
called a bud.
 Then nucleus start to stretch and divide followed by the division of cytoplasm.
 Once grown considerably big in size bud gets detached from the parent cell and grow as a new
individual.

Budding in Yeast

2. Fragmentation
 This mode of reproduction is generally seen in alga such as
 Spirogyra, Ulothrix etc
 Spirogyra is a multicellular, filamentous alga found in fresh water. Also known as pond silk.
 In this method filament breaks apart naturally when the nutrients are in abundance.
 Sometimes the filament breaks apart accidentally due to water currents or any mechanical injury.
  In either case, the broken pieces are capable of forming new individuals.

Spirogyra

3. Spore formation
  This mode of reproduction is observed in fungi, ferns and mosses.
 In this mode, organisms produce spherical bodies called spores.
 Spores are asexual reproductive bodies. These spores are released in air on maturing.
 Each spore is covered with a hard-protective coat to withstand unfavorable conditions such as high
temperature and low humidity.
 When they get suitable warmth and moisture, they germinate and grow into new individuals.

Spore formation in
Moss

Spore formation in
Fern

4. Vegetative propagation
It is a type of asexual reproduction in which new plants are produced from roots, stems, leaves and leaf buds.
These are the vegetative parts of a plant and reproducing through these parts is called vegetative propagation.
There are two types of vegetative propagation
 Natural
 Artificial
1) Natural
A. Through stem tubers:
 A potato tuber has many buds called eyes on its body which appear like scars. When a cut section of a
potato with eyes on it is buried into soil, new shoot comes out from that part.
 In this way many new plants can be grown from an old potato tuber in a very less time.

Through stem tubers

e.g. potato

B. Through Rhizomes:
  In ginger, the vegetative propagation occurs through the underground stem called rhizome. A rhizome
is an underground horizontal stem with stored food and buds.
 Terminal and lateral buds give rise to new shoots. The new shoots develop green leaves and
photosynthesis.

vegetative propagation
through rhizome: in ginger

C. Leaf buds:
 The buds present on the margin of leaves can give rise to new plants with roots, shoots and small
leaves.
 The new plants then detach from the leaves and develop into a mature plant after coming in contact
with the soil.
 Example: Bryophyllum
through leaf buds
e.g. Bryophyllum

D. Through bulbs:
 For plants such as onions, garlic, tulip, daffodil, and hyacinth, the bulb is the unit of vegetative propagation.
 The stem is shortened down to a disc, often called the basal plate from which roots arise around the edge.

vegetative propagation in onion

E. Root tubers :
Some plants propagate through their
root tubers such as Dahlia and sweet potato.

2) Artificial
A. Cutting:
 In some plants like rose and champa, small piece of a branch is cut with a node. This piece of branch is termed a
cutting.
 When this cutting is buried in the soil, and watered every day, new leaf arises from a node and roots from the
base after few days.

B. Grafting
In this method a healthy stem cutting of one plant with oblique
cut surface (scion) is inserted over the cut stem of another rooted
plant (stock). It is then tied together. After some day’s new branches
develop.

C. Layering
A flexible branch of a plant in bent towards the ground and
covered with the moist soil. After some days new roots arise
from the covered part. The bent branch is later cut and made
to grow into a new plant.

Advantages
  Plants produced by asexual/ vegetative propagation take less time to bear flowers and fruits earlier
than those produced from seeds.
 The new plants are exact copies of parent plant as they are produced from a single parent.
 They require lower maintenance as the seed production is not required.

S e x u a l r e p r o d u c ti o n i n p l a n t s
 The type of reproduction in which offsprings are produced by the fusion of male and female gametes,
is called sexual reproduction.
 In sexual reproduction, new plants are obtained from seeds.
 Plants produced by sexual reproduction have characters of both the parents.

R e p r o d u c ti v e p a r t s o f a p l a n t
Flowers are the reproductive parts of a plant. They have:-
 Stamen: Male reproductive part
Stamen consists of anther and the filament. Anther contains pollen grains which produce male gametes.
 Pistil: Female reproductive part
A pistil consists of stigma, style and ovary. The ovary contains ovules. The female gamete or the egg is formed
in an ovule.

Types o f fl o w e r s
 Unisexual flowers: The flowers which contains either only the pistil or only the stamen are called
unisexual flowers.
E.g. Corn, papaya and cucumber
 Bisexual flower: The flowers which contain both stamen and pistil are called bisexual flowers.
E.g. Hibiscus, mustard, rose, petunia etc.

Steps o f s e x u a l r e p r o d u c ti o n
Pollination: Transfer of pollen from anther to stigma of a flower is called pollination.
Pollination is of two types:
Self-pollination: Transfer of pollen from anther to stigma of the same flower is called self-pollination.
Cross pollination: Transfer of pollen from anther to stigma of another flower of the same plant or to the
flower of another plant of same kind is called cross pollination.

Steps o f s e x u a l reproduction
  Fertilisation: The process of fusion of male and female gametes is called fertilisation.
 The cell which is formed after a fusion of the gametes is called zygote (single celled/ unicellular)
 The zygote develops into an embryo. (multicellular)

Steps o f s e x u a l reproduction
 Fruits and seed formation: After fertilisation the ovary swells up to form a fruit. During this
development all other parts of the flower fall off.
 Fertilised and developed ovules transform into seeds. The seeds contain embryo enclosed in a
protective seed coat.
S e e d Dispersal
 Scattering of seeds to far off places through different means is called seed dispersal.
 Advantages of seed dispersal
 Seed dispersal helps to prevent competition among the growing plants for sunlight, water, minerals
and space.
 It enables the plants to invade new habitats for wider distribution.

V a r i o us m o d e s o f s e e d dispersal
1. Wind dispersal: The seeds can be easily dispersed by wind if they are:
 Winged
 Light and hairy
Examples: Winged seeds of Maple and drumstick Hairy seeds of Madar (aak) and sunflower Light seeds of
grasses
With the above features they can easily get blown off with the wind to far off places.

2. Water dispersal: The seeds can be easily dispersed by water:

 If they have spongy and fibrous coat
 If they have air pockets in them.
With the presence of these features they are able to float in water to the long distance.
Examples: Coconut, Lotus and Chestnut

3. Dispersal through animals: The seeds can be easily dispersed through animals if they are hooked and
spiny. These features help them to get attached to the bodies of animals and are carried to different places.
Examples: Xanthium and Urena

4.Explosion of fruits: Some seeds are dispersed when the fruits burst with sudden jerks. Due to this the seeds
are scattered far from the parent plant.
Examples: Castor and balsam