Year 7 Science

CAT 1: Practical Investigation - Flower Anatomy

Time Allowance: 3 Lessons

Name: Anastasia Tuilau

Self-Assessment: 15/20 – 75%
Score: /20

CAT Timeline

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Part A: Background Information
Eighty percent of all plants on Earth are flowering plants. Most of our food comes from
flowering plants directly or by providing food for the animals we eat. Humans also rely on
flowering plants for medicines, timber and many other products. All flowering plants
produce flowers at some time in their lives. Flowers are the reproductive organs of flowering
plants. Flowers produce pollen which can be dispersed to other flowers for fertilisation to
occur and a seed to form. This dispersal can be carried out by insects, animals or the wind.
Table 1. Comparison of reproductive structures between insect-pollinated and wind-
pollinated flowering plants
Insect-pollinated Flower Structures Wind-pollinated Flower Structures

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Part B: Dissection and Analysis of Plant Structures
Aim:
To observe and compare the various parts of a wind pollinated and insect pollinated flower
and understand why there are structural differences between each type of flower.
Materials:
● Iris or lily
● Dandelion/any wind pollinated flower
● Hand lens or magnifying glass
● Razor blade or scalpel
● Probe
● Forceps or tweezers
● Dissecting board
● Paper
● Ruler
● Glue
Method:
1. Place the insect pollinated flower on a dissecting board
2. Use the diagrams on page 2 to help identify the stem, sepals and petals of your flower
(some structures may be different depending on the type of flower used)
3. Draw a fully labelled diagram of your flower, in pencil, in the space provided on page
5
4. Carefully remove the sepals and petals. Do this by pulling them down towards the
stem.
5. Look and carefully analyse at sepals and petals. Use your hand lens/magnifying glass.
Complete the observations table (Table 2.) on page 6
6. Put the petals and sepals to one side.
7. Remove the stamen filament and gently tap the anther on to a sheet of white paper.
Examine the pollen with a hand lens/magnifying glass. Complete the observations
table (Table 3.) on page 7
8. Carefully remove all the structures except the carpel,stigma and ovary
9. Examine the stigma. Touch the surface gently. Complete the observations for the
stigma in table 3 on page 7.
10.Repeat this procedure with the wind pollinated plant. (Note: parts will be different)

Complete the risk assessment on the next page prior to undertaking the experiment

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Risk Assessment and Management: (2 marks) (Self Assessment /2)
Identify major risks associated with the practical experiment and outline how the risks will
be managed to ensure safety

Risk Management
Sharp tools Do not play with sharp tools, use it safely since it can
cause injuries such as cuts.

Allergies Wear a mask to prevent asthma attacks.

Magnifying glass Do muck around or play with a magnifying glass since

it can drop on the floor and break then the glass
would spread everywhere.

Experiment and Observations marking guide: (7 marks) (Self Assessment /7)

● The following marks will be awarded during the experiment
0 marks 1 mark 2 marks
Practical Student cannot Student can answer Student can answer
Understanding answer questions questions from the questions from the
from the teacher teacher adequately, teacher correctly,
adequately. demonstrating their demonstrating their
understanding of the understanding of the
practical. practical.
Safety Student does not Student works through N/A
abide to all safety practical abiding to all
precautions during safety precautions during
the experiment the experiment.
Drawings Student does not Student draws a basic Student draws a basic
complete their diagram of both diagram of both
drawing of both flowering plants flowering plants with
flowering plants accurate labelling of 5
or more key structures
Observations Students does not Student documents basic Students documents
complete observations of some of detailed observations
observations the flower structures of all of the flower
structures
Part C: Results and Observations

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Figure 1. Labelled drawing of Insect-pollinated flower

We did not dissect this type of flower. However, please find below is a picture of a wind-
pollinated flower.

Figure 2. Labelled drawing of Wind-pollinated flower

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Table 2: Key External structural observational differences between insect-pollinated and
wind-pollinated flower structures

Structure Insect-pollinated Flower Structures Wind-pollinated Flower Structures

Sepal Texture Description: Texture Description:

The sepal of the tiger lily flower There is no sepals on a wind

looked like it had a long looking oval pollinated flower.
shape with the texture being soft
Size (mm):
smooth and rubbery.

Size (mm):

140mm

14cm

Petal Colour Description: Colour Description:

The petal of the tiger lily was bright There is no petals on a wind
pink with a tinge of green and purple. pollinated flower.
On the petal there was lots of tiny red
Size (mm):
dots scattered around in a random
order.

Size (mm):

120.5mm

12.5cm

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Table 3: Key Internal structural observational differences between insect-pollinated and
wind-pollinated flower structures

Structure Insect-pollinated Flower Structures Wind-pollinated Flower Structures

Anther Texture Description: Texture Description:

The anther was an oval looking shape

and is small it had the texture where
it would be hard and soft at the same
Positioning Description:
time.

Positioning Description:

The anther is positioned on top of the

filament where its sticks on the side Size (mm):
of the ovule.

Size (mm):

20.2

Filament Composition Description: Composition Description:

The filament is a long and kind of

soft stem that holds the anther and
pollen.
Size (mm):
Size (mm):

50.8 mm

Pollen Texture Description: Texture Description:

The pollen is a soft rubbery powder

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 that helps flowers pollinate with
insects. When rubbing your finger
against it, it tends to leave a yellow
Size description:
stain on your fingers.

Size description:

20.2 mm

Stigma Positioning Description: Positioning Description:

The stigma is positioned on the top

of the style where it connects on top
of the ovule.
Size (mm):
Size (mm):

10.5 mm

Part D: Data analysis and Discussion

Question 1. (2 marks) (Self Assessment /2)

Describe the differences between wind and insect-pollinated flowers, identified during your
experiment, for the following structures.

Anthers:

The anthers in insect pollinated flowers are small and chubby, whereas the anthers in wind-
pollinated flowers are long and slender.

Pollen:

The pollen in insect pollinated flowers is smaller and lighter in weight, whereas the pollen in
wind-pollinated flowers is sticky and spiny and larger in size.

Question 2. (2 marks) (Self-Assessment /2)

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Choose one of the structural differences from your answer to question 1 and explain why
this adaptation is important to the plant.

The structural difference of the insect pollinated flowers being small, chubby and lighter in
weight and the wind-pollinated flowers being sticky, spiny and larger in size.

Question 3a. (1 mark) (Self Assessment /1)

A group of students completed the same experiment and collected the following
observations.

Table 4. Student Observations

Feature Flower 1 Flower 2

Anther Position Exerted Hidden and deep inside the flower
Filament Long and slender Strong and Short
Pollen Light-weight, non sticky Sticky, less in number
Stigma Exerted Small

Students within the group forgot whether flower 1 or flower 2 was the insect-pollinating
flower. Which flower was the insect-pollinating flower?

The flower that is insect-pollinated is flower 1.

Question 3b. (2 marks) (Self-Assessment /2)

Explain your answer from question 3a using the information in the table.

I picked flower 1 as my thought to be an insect pollinated flower because I know for a fact
that pollen in insect-pollinated flowers is small and light in weight, and the filament in

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insect-pollinated flowers are long and somewhat slender, whereas the wind-pollinated flower
is the opposite.

Question 3c. (2 marks) (Self-Assessment /2)

Explain if the data collected in table 4 is considered quantitative or qualitative data.

The data in table 4 is considered as qualitative data because if the data was quantitative then
you would be able to measure it by a ruler but because it’s sorted into categories then it is
considered as qualitative data.

Question 4. (1 mark) (Self-Assessment /1)

Wind-pollinated flowers tend to have no associated scents or smells whereas insect-

pollinated flowers tend to have strong scents and smells.

Why do insect-pollinated flowers release strong scents/smells?

Insect pollinated flowers release strong scents so they can attract insects because unlike
wind-pollinated flowers the insects help insect-pollinated flowers produce new flowers.

Question 5. (1 mark) (Self-Assessment /1)

What suggestions or improvements to the experiment could be made to improve the

reliability of the experiment

Some suggestions or improvements that could be made to improve the reliability of the
experiment is maybe brainstorm on what you think the parts of the flower is so then you
could have bit more knowledge when you start doing your research.

Mark Breakdown

Part B: /9

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 Part D: /11

Total: /20

Glossary Terms

Term Definition
Adaptation A modification to an organism that helps with survival
Dispersal The action of spreading things over a wide area
Exerted Making a physical effort, to be pushed out
Fertilisation Process of joining male and female gametes together
Reliability The ability to conduct the experiment again and obtain the
same/similar results
Reproductive Organs Genital system of an organism
Scent A distinctive smell
Slender Thin

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