CHAPTER-2

SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING PLANTS

 Flowers are the morphological and embryological marvels and the site of sexual
reproduction.
 Pats of the flower are – [SSPS] sepals, stamens, petals, and pistals.
 Male structure - ANDROECIUM [Whorls Of Stamens]

MALE REPRODUCTIVE STRUCTURES

ANDROCECIUM

 Androecium consists of stamen.

 The no. of stamens depends in flowers
 Stamens have three parts
 Anther
 Filament
 Connective tissue

ANTHER

 It is the terminal and bio lobed structure of stamen attached to the filament.
 The bio lobed structure is called DITHECOUS
 Each lobe has pollen sacs [microsporangia]
 That’s is why anther is tetrasporangiate
 a longitudinal groove runs lengthwise seprating the theca

FILAMENT

 It is long and slender stalk part of the stamen

 It is attached to the thalamus or petals of the flower.

CONNECTIVE TISSUE

 The structure which connects anther lobes together is called connective tissue.
 TRANSVERSE SECTION OF AN ANTHER

 The anther is tetragonal in structure consisting of 4 microspongrium or pollen sacs

locating at the corner, two in each loabs
 The microspongria develop to become pollen sacs
 Pollen sacs are packed with pollen grains.

STRUCTURE OF POLLEN SACS /MICROSPORANGIM

 It is circular and surrounded by 4 walls-
 Epidermis
 Endothecium
 Middle layer

These 3 layers provide protection and help in releasing of pollen.

 Tapetum
1. It is the inner most layer
2. It provide nourishment
3. The cells of tapetum possess dense cytoplasm and more than one nuclei.

When an anther is young –

 A group of compactly arranged homogenous cells called SPOROGENOUS TISSUE
occupied the center of each microsporangium.

MICROSPORANGIUM /WHEN THE ANTHER IS DEVELOPED

 Each cell of sporogenous tissue undergo meiotic division to form MICROSPORE

TETRADE
 Each cell of spororagenous tissue is a MICROSPORE MOTHER CELL [MMC] or
POLLEN MOTHER CELL [PMC].
 The process of formation of microsporangium to the pollen mother cell is called
MICROSPOROGENESIS.
 When the anther gets matured it gets dehydrated ,the pollen sacs dissociated with
each other and developed in to pollen grains

POLLEN GRAIN [MALE GAMETOPHYTE]

 Pollen grains germinate and give rise to the male gametophyte.

FEATURES OF POLLEN GRAINS

 They are spherical
 Measures about 25-50 micrometers in diameter
  Pollen grain is preserved as fossil.
 A pollen grain is made of 2 layers
 Exine
 Intine

EXINE

 It is the hard outer most layer which is made of SPOROPELLENIN

 Due to the presence of sporopellenin pollen grain is tough resistant and stable
material.
 It can withstand in high temperature and strong acids and alkaline.
 It cannot be degraded by enzyme
 The exine aperatures called GERM PORES ,where sporopollenin is absent .

INTINE