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Earth Life Science 11
Earth Life Science 11
Reproduction
Procreation - reproduction sustains the species so
that it does not become extinct.
Quality improvement - it allows for the mixing of
genetic materials leading to variation among
individuals in a species.
Two types of REPRODUCTION Asexual &
Sexual.
ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION - does not involve gametes, instead parts of a mature organism may
develop to new individuals.
• results from mitotic cell division (mitosis). During asexual reproduction one cell, called the parent
cell, divides into two identical daughter cells. The new organisms, called offspring are genetically
identical to the parent cell.
TYPES OF HETEROGAMY
• Flagellated or motile – Both gametes may be
flagellated
• Non – motile – does not have flagella
• Oogamy – occurs between animal sex cells
(including human)
SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN PLANTS
HERMAPHRODITES –
• Organisms having both the male and female reproductive organs.
• Examples are flowers having both stamen and carpel; i.e. Roses, Lilies, etc.
BISEXUAL REPRODUCTION –
• Occurs between hermaphrodite plants.
• Many plants are self-fertile and the male parts can pollinate the female parts of the same flower
and/or same plant. Some plants use a method known as self-incompatibility to promote outcrossing.
Here, the male organs cannot fertilize the female parts of the same plant; other plants produce male
and female flowers at different times to promote outcrossing.
FLOWERS –
• In flowering plants, a flower is the reproductive organ which is a specialized shoot consisting of
modified stem and leaves.
• The structure of a flower is described on the next slide.
Parts & Kinds of Flowers • Dioecious plants - Have
pistilate and staminate
Sepals Protect the Important terms:
flowers on different plants
unopened flower
The plants are also known as
Petals May be brightly • Unisexual - Have only one of
male or female plant.
colored to attract insects the reproductive organ:
carpel or stamen i.e. either
• Monoecious plants - Have
Stamens The male parts male or female flower.
pistilate and staminate on
of the flower (each
one plant. However, pistilate
consists of an anther held • Carpelate Also called
and staminate occur at
up on a filament) pistilate - contains only
different parts of the plants
Anthers Produce male sex carpels hence a female
e.g. maize
cells (pollen grains) flower
• Complete flower - Has all
• Staminate Also called a
four parts i.e. sepals, petals,
male flower - Contains
pistil and stamen
stamens only.
• Incomplete flower - Do not
have all four parts • At least
one part is missing.
POLLINATION & FERTILIZATION
POLLINATION -
• Transfer of pollen grains from anther to stigma of a flower.
• Results in seeds that will grow into new plants.
• Plants have gametes, which contain half the normal number of chromosomes for that plant species.
Male gametes are found inside tiny pollen grains on the anthers of flowers. Female gametes are found
in the ovules of a flower. Pollination is the process that brings these male and female gametes
together.
POLLEN GRAIN -
• A structure produced by plants containing the male haploid gamete to be used in reproduction. The
gamete is covered by protective layers which perform their role until the pollen grain is capable of
fertilizing when reaching the stigma.
EMBRYO SAC -
• A cell located at the center of the ovule that contains the haploid egg cell (female gametophyte)
for flowering plants.
TYPES OF POLLINATION: Self Pollination
& Cross Pollination
FERTILIZATION in Plants
FERTILIZATION –
• Fusion of male and female gametes to form a zygote.
• Zygote – eukaryotic cell produced by the fertilization of two gametes.
FERTILIZATION IN PLANTS –
• If the pollen grain lands on a compatible stigma, a pollen tube will grow so that eventually
the egg cell, hidden away in the embryo sac, can be fertilized. A tube emerges from the
grain, its growth being controlled by the tube nucleus at the tip of the tube. It may grow
downwards in response to chemicals made by the ovary (a response known as
chemotropism).
• During the growth and extension of the tube, the generative nucleus, behind the tube
nucleus, divides by mitosis to produce 2 male haploid gametes. The pollen tube enters the
ovule through the micropyle and penetrates the embryo sac wall. The tip of the tube bursts
open, the tube nucleus dies and what follows is called double fertilization.
FERTILIZATION in Plants
• 1 male gamete fuses with the egg cell to produce a diploid zygote.
• 1 male gamete fuses with both the polar nuclei to produce the triploid primary endosperm nucleus.
• Immediately after fertilization, the ovule is known as the seed.
After Fertilization…
1. The zygote divides many times by mitosis to produce an embryo. It differentiates to become a
plumule (young shoot), radicle (young root) and either 1 or 2 cotyledons (seed leaves). It is
attached to the wall of the embryo sac by a suspensor.
2. The primary endosperm nucleus divides many times by mitosis to produce endosperm tissue. In
some seeds this endosperm is a food store for later use by the seed. In others it may gradually
disappear as the cotyledons develop.
3. To accommodate all this growth the embryo sac expands and the nucleus is crushed out of
existence, giving its nutrients to the embryo and endosperm.
FERTILIZATION in Plants
4. The integuments surrounding the embryo
sac become the tough and protective
testa(seed coat). The micropyle remains
though so that oxygen and water can be
taken in at germination.
5. The water content of the seed decreases
drastically so the seed is prepared for
dormancy.
6. The ovary wall becomes the pericarp - the
fruit wall, the whole ovary now being the
fruit. The function of the fruit is to protect
the seeds and to aid in their dispersal, e.g.
by an animal. That is why they can be
brightly coloured and sweet; animals will
eat them and scatter the seeds either at
the time of eating or when they are passed
out of the gut in defecation, unharmed.
GERMINATION
• When conditions are right, the seed will take up water through the micropyle by
imbibition. This triggers the beginning of the growth of the seed.
• The cell swells and the testa splits. With the addition of water, large molecules of
carbohydrate, protein and fat can be hydrolyzed (broken down) to produce substances
for respiration.
• The water activates such enzymes as a-amylase to catalyze this digestion.
• The growing embryo releases a hormone called gibberellic acid and some enzymes
are produced and released in response to this.
• The soluble products of digestion are delivered to the cotyledons, root and shoot. They
respire aerobically and grow in size.
• By the time the food store has been used up, the shoot has grown enough to push the
first leaves into the sunlight. Photosynthesis can then start.
Changes that Occur in a flower after fertilization