Plant Reproduction

Chapter 9

Types of Plant ReproductionPlants can reproduce both sexually and asexually.

Many of the same plants will do both.

Asexual reproduction - under the right conditions, an entire plant can grow from one leaf or just a portion of the stem or root.

Types of Plant ReproductionSexual Reproduction - sperm fertilizes an egg cell to form a zygote.

Sperm & Egg - sex cells in an organism

Zygote - fertilized egg

Some plants have both male and female parts. They can reproduce by themselves.

Some plants only have female part or male parts. Wind, insects, or water brings the sperm and egg together.

Types of Plant ReproductionAsexual reproduction produces an offspring with the same genetic information.

Sexual reproduction produces offspring with different genetic information.

Offspring - “babies”

Sexual reproduction produces genetic diversity - allows more species (plants, animals, etc.) to survive.

Seedless reproductionSeedless plants (mosses & ferns) do not produce seeds - they produce spores.

Spores are then carried by wind or water to other plants.

Seedless plants include all nonvascular plants and some vascular plants.

Nonvascular - water and nutrients are passed from cell to cell in the plant.

Vascular - water and nutrients are transported in tubelike cells throughout the plant (like a vein).

Spores

Seed reproductionFruits & vegetables come from seed plants. All flowers are produced by seed plants.

Pollen - water-resistant containing parts that can produce sperm. Carried by gravity, wind, water, or animals and insects to female parts of a plant for pollination.

Once pollen reaches female parts, sperm is produced and fertilization can occur.

Pollination produces seeds.Pollination = fertilization in plants

Seed reproductionFollowing pollination, female part can develop into a seed.

SEEDS: 3 main parts: seed coat, stored food, and an embryo

The embryo has structures that can produce stem, leaves, and roots. Needs to be planted to germinate.

Importance of FlowersThe goal of producing flowers is pollination.

Most pollen falls to the ground. Wind, gravity, water, insects and animals are ways pollen gets to where it needs to go.

Bright flowers attract insects and animals. Night blooming flowers have strong scents to attract insects and animals.

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Seed DispersalSeeds need soil to grow new plants. How do they get there?

Gravity - fall to the ground from the plant

Wind/Water - carried to soil

Animals - in fur, poop, or buried

Shotgun Dispersal - some seed pods “explode” their seeds when touched

GerminationGermination - the growth of a new plant from a seed

Seeds will not germinate until all conditions (temp, water, light, etc) are right.

After the plant emerges from the seed and soil, photosynthesis will begin and provide the plant with food.