Reproduction in Flowering Plants

What is reproduction
• Reproduction is one of the fundamental characteristics of
all living organisms.
• Reproduction is defined as a biological process that
make more of the same kind of organisms- new
individuals.
• Reproduction enables the continuity of the species,
generation after generation
• Each kind of organism has its own particular method of
reproducing, but all of these methods fit into one of
two categories.
 Types of reproduction
1_ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Features:
1. It involves one parent only.
2. The offspring are genetically identical to their parent
3. No specialized cells like gametes are produced.
4. Large number of organisms produced in a very short time.

Definition: Asexual reproduction can be defined as the process resulting

in the production of genetically identical offspring from one parent.
 Activity
In your note books write down 3 advantages and
3 disadvantages of asexual reproduction
 Advantages and disadvantages
ADVANTAGES OF ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION
1. The process is quick.
2. Only one parent is needed.
3. No gametes are needed.
4. All the good characteristics of the parent are passed on to the offspring.
5. When there is no dispersal (eg. potato tubers) offspring will grow in the
same favorable environment as the parent.

DISADVANTAGES OF ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

1. There is little variations.
2. If the parents has no resistance to a particular disease, none of the
offspring will have resistance.
3. Lack of dispersal can lead to competition for nutrients, water and light.
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
Features:
1. It involves two parents.
2. Specialized sex cells gametes are produced.
3. In animals male gametes are sperm cell and female gametes are egg cells.
4. In flowering plants the male gametes are inside the pollen grains and female gametes are
inside the ovules. (discussed later)
5. During sexual reproduction the gametes fuse together at fertilisation and form zygote.
6. Zygote divides to form an embryo which may grow into a new individual plant.
7. The offspring shows genetic variations.
8. Comparatively less number of organisms produced
 Activity
Write down 3 advantages and 3 disadvantages of
sexual reproduction
ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION:
ADVANTAGES OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION
1. Offspring shows variations.
2. New varieties can be developed.

DISADVANTAGES OF SEXUAL REPRODUCTION

1. Two parents needed.
2. Fertilization is random, so harmful variation can occu
 Sexual reproduction in plants
• Flowering plants carry out sexual reproduction by producing
flowers.
• Flowers vary in structure depending upon their method of
pollination.
1. INSECT POLLINATED FLOWERS
2. WIND POLLINATED
PARTS OF FLOWER AND THEIR FUNCTION: Flower parts are often arranged in rings attached to the end
of a swollen flower stalk.

1. Sepals: Sepals are leaf like structures that protect the flower when it is a bud.
2. Petals :Petals are often large,brightly coloured and scented.
3. Nectary : Petals may have nectary at the base, which makes sugary nectar.
4. Stamen :The male reproductive part of the flower, made up of anther and stamen.
5. Anther : Contains pollen sacs, in which pollen grains are formed. Pollen contains male gametes.
6. Filament: It is the stalk which hold and support the anther.
7. Carpels : The female reproductive part of the flower, made up of stigma, style and ovary.
8. Stigma: A stick surface that receives pollen during pollination.
9. Style : Links the stigma to the ovary, through which pollen tubes grow.
10. Ovary : Contains ovules, which develop into seeds when fertilised.
11. Ovules: The ovules are inside the ovary. Each ovule has a female gamete (egg cell)
 Female Male
reproductive reproductive
organ organ

Pistil
*Stigma –top of the pistil,
Sticky surface for pollen to
stick to
*Style – connects the stigma
to the ovary
*Ovary –contains ovules
( eggs)
Stamen
*Anther – produces sperm.
Sperm nuclei are
enclosed by pollen grains.
*Filament – holds the anther
up
 Wind pollinated
• Grasses and cereals are all pollinated by the wind.
1. These types of flowers are small, green and inconspicuous compared with
insect-pollinated flowers.
2. They have no scent and no nectar.
3. Sepals and petals are very small in size.
4. The anthers hang outside the flower so the wind can blow away the large
quantities of small, smooth and light pollens that they produce.
5. Pollen grains : larger amount of pollen grains are produced.
6. The stigma is feathery and positioned outside the flower.Provide large surface
area for catching pollen grains.
POLLINATION
• DEFINITION: Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther
stigma of a plant of the same
species.
• AGENTS OF POLLINATION :
1. Pollination may be carried out by insects or by the wind.
2. The structural adaptations of a flower depend on the the agent of pollinat
 Activity
In note books write 3 difference between the
structure of a wind pollinated and an insect
pollinated flower
 Types of pollination
• Types of pollination: The basic modes of pollination are
1.Self pollination
2.Cross pollination
• Self pollination: Transfer of pollen grains from the anther to stigma of the
same flower or another flower on the same plant is said to be self
pollination.
• Cross pollination : Transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a flower from
one plant to the stigma of the flower on another plant of same species is
called cross pollination.
 Fertilization
1. After successfully landing of pollen grain on the stigma of flower of the same species,
it start to germinate (grow).
2. In this process, pollen grains absorb sugary solution from the stigma.
3. Pollen germinates to produce a pollen tube.
4. The pollen tube grows down the style of the carpel.
5. Growing pollen tube carries male gametes (Sperm)
6. The pollen tube complete its growth by entering an opening (micropyle) in the ovule.
7. The male gamete moves from the pollen tube to ovule.
8. Inside ovule, the fusion of male gamete and female gamete is called fertilisation by
which a zygote is formed.
9. If the ovary contains a lot of ovules, each will be fertilised by a different pollen
nucleus.
 Seed and fruit
• after fertilisation, each ovule grows to form a seed.
• Each seed is made up of :
1. Embryo : the zygote divides by mitosis and grow into embryo. The embryo consists of radicle and
plumule.
2. A food store : Food stores called cotyledons.
3. A seed coat (testa) : The wall of the ovules forms the seed coat
• The ovary wall develop into a fruit, which may be fleshy (e.g. plum) or a dry pod (e.g. pea).
 Learning check

» Label the following

» Give 3 differences between wind pollinated
and insect pollinated flower
» Differentiate between asexual and sexual
reproduction, pollination and fertilization