PLANT

REPRODUCTION
Reproduction in Flowering Plants
• Sexual reproduction in plants occurs around a flower
• Sepal- Protects the flower bud
• Petal- Broad and Bright structure may be used as attractant for
pollinators.
• Anther-Male gamete structure( contain pollen sacs and grains)
• Stigma- receptive structure for anther
• The arrival of the anthers on the stigma creates a tunnel
• Micropyle-An opening/Orifice to the Ovules
Flower Structure
Incomplete
Flowers
There are two types of
incomplete flowers:
staminate flowers contain
only an androecium, and
carpellate flowers have
only a gynoecium. Corn is
monoecious, both flowers
are on the same plant.
Superior and Inferior Flowers
Pollen Forms in the Anther
Microsporangium
Within the microsporangium, the
microspore mother cell divides
by meiosis to give rise to four
microspores, each of which will
ultimately form a pollen grain
Female Gametophyte: The Embryo Sac
The female gametophyte is
formed from mitotic divisions
of the megaspore, forming an
eight-nuclei ovule sac. This is
covered by a layer known as
the integument. The
integument contains an
opening called the micropyle,
through which the pollen tube
enters the embryo sac.
Gymnosperm Life Cycle
Male Gametophyte
Female Gametophyte
Comparing Angiosperms and Gymnosperms
Angiosperms
• The female gametophyte exists
in an enclosed structure—the
ovule—which is within the ovary
• Double fertilization
• Male and female structures are
part of the flower.
• Animal pollination is more
common
Gymnosperms
• The female gametophyte is present on
exposed bracts of the female cone
• No double fertilization
• The male and female gametophyte structures
are present on separate male and female
cones
• Pollination by wind
Asexual Reproduction

Advantages Disadvantages
• There isn’t an increase in genetic
• New plant will reach maturity diversity.
faster
• Less investment than making a
flower and attracting pollinators
• In stable conditions, genetically
identical plants will do as well as
parent plant.
Development of the male gamete
• Each anther contains 4 pollen.
• The development of male gametes starts with a large pollen mother
cells.
• The pollen thickens and forms an inner layer called the intine.
• The pollen matures and dries out and opens in a process called
Dehiscence and pollen is released.
Development of Pollen grains
Pollination
• Movement of pollen from anther to stigma.
• Pollination may occur by
• 1. Insects
• 2. Wind
• 3. Water
• 4. Animals
Types of Pollination
• Self Pollination- Transfer of pollen grains from anther to stigma of the
same plant. They are regarded as being more reliable. In this case
both gametes come from same parent.
• Disadvantage – In breeding, Uniform upsprings expression of
recessive traits

• Cross pollination: Transfer of anther from one plant to another. It is

wasteful and less reliable. Their products are genetically more
favorable. Gene transfer and variation.
Strategies for cross pollination
• Dioecious plants- Some plants may have flowers that are only male
plant flowers . They only have a stamen while Only Female plants will
have only carpel eg Pawpaw.

• Monoecious Plants: Self pollination is hindered on the development of

gametes.
• Protandry- Anthers on some plants matures first. Pollination of
immature stigma is not possible.
• Protogyny- Stigma matures first
• Self incompatibility- Pollen matures but does not grow well
Preventing Self-Pollination
Because cross-pollination allows for more genetic diversity, plants have
developed many different ways to avoid self-pollination:
• The pollen and the ovary mature at different times.
• Physical features on the flower prevent self-pollination.
• Male and female flowers are located on different parts of the plant.
(Gymnosperms have male and female cones at different heights.)
• Male and female flowers are borne on different plants (dioecious).
Flower
• Sexual reproductive structure

• Produces egg and sperm

• Fertilization takes place inside the

flower
 Female Male
reproductive reproductive
organ organ

Pistil Stamen
*Stigma –top of the pistil, *Anther – produces sperm
Sticky surface for pollen to stick nuclei by meiosis. Sperm
to nuclei are enclosed by pollen
*Style – connects the stigma to grains.
the ovary *Filament – holds the anther
*Ovary –contains ovules up
( eggs)
Pollination
• Transfer of mature pollen grains from the anther to the stigma
-wind
-insects
-birds & other animals
Important (endangered?) Pollinators
• Bees • Green bottle flies
• Butterflies • Bactrocera fruit flies
• Moths • Bats
• Wasps • Birds
• Bombyliid flies • Hummingbirds
• syrphid flies • Honeyeaters
• Sunbirds
• Beetles
• monkeys, lemurs,
• Midges possums, rodents and
• Thrips lizards
• Ants
Scopa (pollen holder) of a Megachilid
bee
Halictid bee, showing adhering pollen
Syrphid fly,
showing
some
adhering
pollen
Halictid bee
• When a pollen grain lands on the stigma, it
germinates and a pollen tube grows down through
the style to an ovule (egg)
Fertilization
• The sperm travels through the pollen tube to the
ovule. The sperm & egg fuse forming the zygote
(fertilized egg) –this grows into the plant embryo
(cells grow by mitosis)
*Self pollination –pollen from same flower
*Cross pollination – pollen from a different flower
- more variation
• The ovary and zygote (fertilized ovule) develop and
ripen.

*The ovule forms the seed and the ovary forms the
fruit.
• A fruit is a ripened ovary
The plant embryo uses food stored in the cotyledon of the seed
until it develops leaves for photosynthesis
 Seedling
micropyle –opening in ovule where pollen tube attached, sperm entered

hilum –scar where ovule attached to ovary

radicle –embryonic root

Epicotyl – grows above the cotyledons and gives
rise to the leaves.
Hypocotyl –below the point of attachment of the
cotyledon, develops into the stem.
Parts of a seed
• Dicot Seed coat

Hypocotyl

Epicotyl
Cotyledons
Endosperm Seed coat
• Monocot
Epicotyl

Hypocotyl
Cotyledon Radicle
Seed Germination
Monocot Dicot

Epigeous

Hypogeous
Radicle
Fruits
• There are 2 types of fruits.
• 1. True fruits- Developed from the Ovary. Mango, Orange
• 2. False Fruits- They are developed from other floral parts such as the
Calyx, sepal or receptacle.
• Classification of Fruits
Types of Fruits
Seed and Fruit Dispersal
Seeds contained within fruits need to be dispersed far from the mother
plant, so they may find favorable and less competitive conditions in
which to germinate and grow.
Seed dormancy, which was described earlier, allows plants to disperse
their progeny through time: something animals cannot do.
Adaptations to Promote Seed Dispersal
(a) Dandelion seeds are dispersed by wind, the (b) coconut seed is
dispersed by water, and the (c) acorn is dispersed by animals that cache
and then forget it.