Plant Reproduct ion- Sexual

Structure of a flower

Structure Function

Sepals Protect unopened flower bud

Petals May be brightly coloured to attract insects

Stamens Male parts of flower consisting of anther held up

by filament

Anthers Produce haploid male sex cells (pollen grains)

by meiosis

Filament Holds up anther

Pollination
- The transfer of pollen from the anther Stigma Top of female part of flower (carpel)- collects
to the stigma pollen grains
- Self pollination (transfer from anther to
Style Supports stigma- male gamete travel down it to
stigma of same flower):
female ovules
- Pollen comes loose from stamens
- Stigma from same flower collects Ovary Produces haploid female sex cells (ovules) by
pollen meiosis
- Cross pollination (transfer from anther
of one plant to stigma of another): Nectaries Produce sugary nectar to attract insects. At
- Pollen sticks to insect as it visits base of plant so pollinator must come into
to collect food contact with anther
- Insect travels to another plant of
same type
- Pollen on insect sticks to stigma on other plant

After pollination
1. Pollen tube grows down style
2.Pollen grain nucleus moves down pollen tube → ovary
3.Fertilisation (= fusion of nuclei of male and female gametes) occurs
4.Ovary wall → hard and dry (brazil nut) or succulent and fleshy (plum) → fruit (fertilised ovary) →
disperses seeds. Sepals + petals + stamen + stigma +style → wither
5.Carpel → fruit. Ovules → seeds. Ovule walls → testa

Dispersal (to stop competition for resources, e.g. Light, water, space) methods
- Wind- Light (sometimes with wings to catch the wind)
- Water
- Animal internal- fruits eaten → seeds have indigestible coat so pass through system
- Animal external- seeds have small hooks to attach to fur
- Explosive mechanism- pod bursts open when ripe → seeds thrown far from plant

Germination (when plant emerges from seed + begins growth) conditions

1. Water → testa splits as seed expands → radical grows downwards + plumule grows upwards
2.Air
3.Warmth = sign that conditions favourable for growth

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 Structure Function

Testa Protection of seed

Embryo Grows into new plant

Food store Contains starch = energy for growing

seed

Flower Insect pollinated Wind pollinated

Stamen Enclosed within flower so insect Exposed so wind can easily blow pollen
positions must make contact away

Stigma positions ““ Exposed to catch pollen

Stigma type Sticky → pollen grains from insect Feathery → catch pollen grains in wind
attach

Petal sizes Large → attract insects Small

Petal colours Bright → attract insects Green (not bright)

Nectaries Present- nectar = insectʼs ʻrewardʼ Absent

Pollen grains Larger, sticky/spiky → stick to Smaller, smooth, inflated/wings → carry in

insectsʼ bodies wind

Grouping Solitary or in small groups In dense groups covering large area

Pollen quantity Small → less energy (most is Large to offset large amount of wastage
transferred)

Examples Foxglove, primrose Rye grass, plantain

Sexual Asexual

Two parents One parent

Offspring have mixture of characteristics Offspring = genetically identical

Meiosis → haploid gametes Mitosis → diploid cells

Genetically different → natural selection occurs Genetically identical → same vulnerabilities

Offspring can be widely dispersed Offspring nearby

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 Plant Reproduct ion- Asexual
- E.g. potato

Advantages
- No fertilisation (cells divide by mitosis to form a structure that breaks away from parent) - no
energy wasted making gametes
- Useful to species living in stable environment (offspring → well adapted)
- Produces identical offspring (clones) → cuttings from superior plant will be equally good
- No need to spend time/energy finding mate
- Several ‘buds’ can be produced in a short space of time

Disadvantages
- If environment changes, all affected equally
- No variation → reduced gene pool
- If offspring close produced close together → competition
- All susceptible to same diseases

In plants
- Runners- produce new plants when they touch the ground
- Tubers (e.g. Potato tubers)- form underground at the ends of branches from main stem
- Bulbs- bases of leaves → swollen with food → bulbs → new plants
- Cuttings- part of plant’s stem cut and planted → roots grow and new plant develops