Lesson 3.

Sexual Reproduction in
Plants
 understand the general
1 mechanisms of sexual
Objectives reproduction in plants;
At the end and
of the
lesson, you identify the different
should be 2 forms of sexual
able to: reproduction in plants.
 Learn about It!

Types of Plants
Angiosperms Gymnosperms
The Flowering Plants The Non-flowering Plants

Sampaguita flower Pine tree

 Learn about It!

Types of Plants
Angiosperms

• bear flowers

• contain seeds
enclosed in an
ovary in the form of
fruits

Avocado flowers and fruits

 Learn about It!

Types of Plants
Gymnosperms

• do not bear flowers

• contain “naked
seeds” called cones

Pine tree leaves and cones

 Learn about It!

Parts of a Flower
• Androecium (male
structure)

• Gynoecium (female
structure).

Sexual reproductive structures of a flower

 Learn about It!

Parts of a Flower
• Androecium is the male
structure of a flowering
plant that consists of
whorls of stamen.

Sexual reproductive structures of a flower

 Learn about It!

Parts of a Flower
Androecium

• The stamen is comprised

of the filament and the
anther.

• The filament is a long,

slender stalk that holds
the anther. Flower showing the male and
female parts
 Learn about It!

Parts of a Flower
Androecium

• The anther produces

the pollen grains
(male reproductive
cells).

Flower showing the male and

female parts
 Learn about It!

Parts of a Flower
Gynoecium

• It is the female
reproductive structure
of a flowering plant.

Sexual reproductive structures of a flower

 Learn about It!

Parts of a Flower
Gynoecium

• The style is a slender

stalk that supports the
stigma.

• The stigma is the sticky

part that receives the
pollen. Flower showing the male and
female parts
 Learn about It!

Parts of a Flower
Gynoecium

• The ovary is the basal

sac that contains the
ovules (female
reproductive cells).

Flower showing the male and

female parts
 Learn about It!

Parts of a Cone
Male Cones Female Cones

Male cones soft scales that Female cones have overlapping

contain the pollen. scales.
 Learn about It!

Parts of a Cone
Male Cones

• They are usually smaller and

softer than its female
counterpart.

• Commonly, male cone has

scales where the two pollen
sacs are located.
Male cones at the tip of twigs
 Learn about It!

Parts of a Cone
Female Cones

• They are usually attached to the

branch of the stem of the
gymnosperm.

• The scales of female cone grow

in a helical fashion. The scales
overlap to each other like fish Female cone attached
scales. to a branch
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms

Pollination

● It unites the male and

female reproductive cells
or gametes. It takes place
once the pollen grains
reached the female stigma.

A bee, transferring pollen from

one flower to the other.
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms

Pollination

● Autogamy - pollen is transferred to the stigma of the same

flower

● Geitonogamy - pollen is transferred to the stigma of another

flower but of the same plant.

● Xenogamy - cross-pollination
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms

Pollination

Types of pollination
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms

Fertilization

● It takes place when the

sperm (germinated pollen)
unites with the egg (ovule)
forming a fertilized egg
called a zygote.

Elongation of the pollen tube during

pre-fertilization process
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms

Post-fertilization

● The zygote develops into

an embryo while the
endosperm nucleus
develops into the
endosperm.

Parts of a fruit
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms

Post-fertilization

● The ovule, which contains

the embryo and the
endosperm, matures into
a seed while the ovary
forms the pericarp of the
fruit.
Parts of a fruit
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Gymnosperms

1. Pollination
2. Fertilization
3. Post-fertilization

Female cones of a gymnosperm

 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Gymnosperms

Pollination

a. The wind carries the pollen

from the male cones to the
female cones.
b. A sticky substance secreted by
the ovule collects the pollen.
c. The ovule closes and seals in
the pollen. Dispersal of pollen grain from
male cone of gymnosperm
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Gymnosperms

Fertilization

• When the pollen reaches an ovule through the elongation

of the pollen tube, the egg becomes fertilized.

• The result is an embryo that starts to grow, protected by

sporophytic tissue. A developing gymnosperm seed takes
over a year to mature.
 Learn about It!

Sexual Reproduction in Gymnosperms

Post-fertilization

• For seed dispersal, the scales on the cones of some

species of gymnosperm escape from the cone when fully
developed.

• Cone seeds have wings attached to the seeds that helps

in the proper dispersal of the seeds. When seeds land, it
germinate if the conditions are favourable.
Key Points

Sexual reproduction in plants require the union of male

1 (pollen) and female (ovule) sex cells.

Angiosperms are flowering plants. Gymnosperms have

2 no flowers or fruits, instead, they have cones.

Flowers are the reproductive organs in angiosperms. They

3 consist of the androecium (male structure) and gynoecium
(female structure).
 Check Your Understanding

Write the word true if the given statement is correct and

false if otherwise.

1. Dispersal of gymnosperm seed is dependent on the

wind.
2. Double fertilization only happens in angiosperm.
3. The male cone of gymnosperms are bigger compared to
the female cones.
4. For some angiosperms, the pollination process is
dependent on the insect pollinators.
5. Seed germination requires water imbibition to activate
the seed and induce growth.
 Check Your Understanding

Fill in the blanks.

1. Cross-pollination is also called as ______________.
2. Plants that contain enclosed seeds in the form of fruits
are called as___________________.
3. Plants that do not bear flowers or fruits but have “naked
seeds” are called as_________________.
4. Insects, wind, air, animals, or even humans help in the
process of pollination. They are called
as__________________.
5. The form of pollination where pollen is transferred to
the stigma of the same flower is called ________________.
 Challenge Yourself

Why do you think cones of

gymnosperms are more
simple in structure and
appearance compared to
the flowers of the
angiosperm?
 Bibliography

Biology LibreTexts. “ Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms.” Accessed by May 12, 2019.

https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Introductory_and_General_Biology/Book%3A_General_Biology
_(Boundless)/32%3A_Plant_Reproductive_Development_and_Structure/32.1%3A_Plant_Reproductive_
Development_and_Structure/32.1C%3A_Sexual_Reproduction_in_Angiosperms

Loving Biology. “How do Gymnosperms have sexual reproduction?” Accessed by May 8, 2016.
https://gotalktogetherdotcom.wordpress.com/2016/05/08/how-do-gymnosperms-have-sexual-repro
duction/

Lumen Biology for Majors II. “Sexual Reproduction in Angiosperms.” Accesses by May 13, 2019.
https://courses.lumenlearning.com/wm-biology2/chapter/sexual-reproduction-in-angiosperms/

Toppr. “Plant Kingdom: Gymnosperms.” Accessed by May 2019.

https://www.toppr.com/guides/biology/plant-kingdom/gymnosperms/