Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants

 Sexual reproduction is the production of a new organism from two parents by making
use of their gametes or sex cells.

 Plants also have male and female sex organs.

 When the male gamete combines with the female gamete, a new seed is formed.

 This seed when provided with suitable environment is germinated and a new plant is
grown.

 The sex organs in plants are carried within the flower and the seeds which are inside a
fruit. Such plants are called angiosperms or flowering plants as they reproduce by
sexual reproduction method.

 Monoecious plants -Plants that have both female and male sexual organs and flowers
on the same plant are called Monoecious plants. These male and female parts are
located at different locations on the plant. Example: Cucurbit and Coconut.

 Dioecious plants - Unisexual plants, also known as dioecious plants. These plants do
not have the female and male flowers on one plant, only one sex is borne on one plant.

Example: Date palm and Papaya

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Parts of a Flower

 Most flowers have four main parts: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels.

 The stamens are the male part whereas the carpels are the female part of the flower.

 Peduncle: This is the stalk of the flower.

 Receptacle: It is that part of the flower to which the stalk is attached to. It is small and
found at the centre of the base of the flower.

 Sepals: These are the small, leaf-like parts growing at the base of the petals. They form
the outermost whorl of the flower. Collectively, sepals are known as the calyx.

 Petals: This layer lies just above the sepal layer. The petals are collectively known as
the corolla.
 Stamens: These are the male parts of a flower. Many stamens are collectively known as
the androecium. They are structurally divided into two parts:
o Filament: the part that is long and slender and attached the anther to the flower.
o Anthers: It is the head of the stamen and is responsible for producing the pollen
which is transferred to the pistil or female parts of the same or another flower to
bring about fertilization.
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Structure of pollen grains:

 Pistil: This forms the female parts of a flower. A collection of pistils is called the
gynoecium.

a. Style -is a long slender stalk that holds the stigma

b. Stigma– This is found at the tip of the style. It forms the head of the pistil. The stigma
contains a sticky substance to catch pollen grains from different pollinators or those
dispersed through the wind.

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c. Ovary – They form the base of the pistil. The ovary holds the ovules.
d. Ovules– These are the egg cells of a flower. They are contained in the ovary.

STRUCTURE OF OVULE:

 The ovule is a multicellular oval-shaped structure which originates from the placenta
and lies inside the chamber of the ovary. Each chamber may consist of one or more
number of ovules.

 A fully mature ovule consists of the stalk or funicle and the body.
 One end of the funicle is attached to the placenta.
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  The point of attachment of the funicle with the body is called hilum.
 Funicle sometimes extends up to the base of the ovule and the ridge thus formed is
called raphe.
 It consists of 2 integuments covering the nucellus – outer integument and inner
integument.

Embryo Sac:

 The embryo sac is the female gametophyte.

 It is oval in shape and lies within the nucellus of the ovule.
 The group of three cells lying towards the micropylar end is called the egg-
apparatus. The central cell of the egg-apparatus is known as the egg cell or ovum. It
forms the female gamete. The other two cells, one on each side of the egg cell are
called the synergids.
 The group of three cells at the chalazal end and lying opposite to the egg-apparatus are
called the antipodal cells.
 The antipodal cells have no definite function and they disintegrate after the fertilization
of the ovum.
 The large nucleus lying somewhat at the center of the embryo sac is called the
definitive nucleus. It is the fused product of the two polar nuclei, contributed one
each from the two poles of the embryo- sac.

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 7 cell structure – 3 Antipodal
cells, 3 cells in egg apparatus and
1 central cell.

8 Nucleated structure – 3 nuclei

in antipodal cells, 3 nuclei in egg
apparatus and 2 nuclei in central
cell.

POLLINATION:

The transfer of pollen grains from anther to the stigma of the carpel in a flower is known as
pollination.

Types of pollination:

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Agents of pollination:

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Fertilization:

 The fusion of nuclei of male and female gametes is called fertilization. In seed plants,
fertilization takes place in the embryo sac. The pollen grain received by the stigma
germinates, produces pollen tube and carries the male gametes to the egg cell.

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Entry of pollen tube into the embryo sac:

 The pollen tube enters into the embryo sac from the micropylar end.
 In the embryo sac, the pollen tube either passes between the synergid and the egg cell
or enters into one of the synergids through the filiform apparatus.
 The growth of pollen tube in the stylar canal, its entry into the embryo sac and fusion
of male and female gametes are also determined by the pollen-pistil interaction.
 The contents of the pollen tube are discharged into the degenerating synergids.
 The tube does not grow beyond this.

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Syngamy and triple fusion or double fertilization:

 The male gametes are released in the embryo sac.

 Out of the two male gametes, one fuses with egg resulting in the formation of diploid
zygote. The process is called Syngamy or Fertilization.
 The other male gamete enters the central cell and fuses with two polar nuclei or the
secondary nucleus. This results in the formation of a triploid primary endosperm
nucleus.
 Since, this process involves fusion of three haploid nuclei (two polar nuclei and one
male gamete), it is known triple fusion.
 The fusion of one male gamete with the egg and that of other male gamete with polar
nuclei or secondary nucleus is called double fertilization.

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STRUCTURE OF A SEED:

Seeds of different plants may vary in many ways, but the basic anatomy remains the same. A
typical seed consists of the following parts:

 Testa: It is the outer coat of the seed that protects the embryonic plant.

 Micropyle: It is a tiny pore in the testa that lies on the opposite of the tip of the radicle. It
permits water to enter the embryo before active germination.

 Hilum: Is a scar left by the stalk which attached the ovule to the ovary wall before it
became a seed.

 Cotyledon: In some plants, this contains high quantities of starch and will provide
a source of food for the developing embryo prior to germination, in other plants this role is
performed by an endosperm. In monocotyledons, there is just one cotyledon whereas
in dicotyledons there are two.

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  Radicle: This is the embryonic root which will develop into the primary root of the
plant. It is usually the first part of the embryo to push its way out of the seed during
germination.

 Plumule: This is the embryonic shoot. It appears as a bud which will give rise to the shoot
and the remaining structures in the plant.

 Endosperm: In many plants, a separate part for storage of starch develops and this is
called the endosperm. It is seen in maize and wheat.

Functions of Seeds

The seeds perform the following functions:

i. They help in germination of the new plant.

ii. The seeds contain food reservoirs in the form of cotyledons and endosperm.
iii. The seed coat is protective in nature which protects the embryo inside.
Dispersion of Seeds

Dispersion is defined as the scattering or transport of seeds from one place to another by means
of a dispersing agent. It can occur by four modes:

 Wind – cotton seeds

 Water – Mangroves

 Animals – Guava and dates

 Explosion - Viola

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POST FERTILISATION CHANGES IN A FLOWER:

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