Asexual and Sexual Reproduction in Plants

• Reproduction is one of the important characteristics of all living things
• living organisms create new individuals that carry genetic materials of their parents
• A diploid cell contains the total genetic materials present in the species
• All body cells such as skin cells, stomach cells, nerve cells, etc. are in diploid form. These cells usually contain combined genetic materials from both parents
• A haploid cell contains half of the total genetic materials present in the species
• Sex cells (sperm and egg) of animals and spores or pollen grains in plants are usually in haploid form. These cells usually contain genetic materials from an individual parent
• Fertilization is the process wherein the haploid egg and haploid sperm of the parents unite to form a diploid zygote
• During pollination, the pollen grains from the anther is being carried to the pistil of the flower
• Bulbs occur when parts of the roots split and each part develops into a new bulb
• Tubers are formed when an underground stem forms a bulb
• Runners occur when a horizontal stem develops from the vertical stem of a grown plant and extends above and along the ground
• Rhizomes are thick, underground stems that produce upright stems with leaves, each of which becomes an independent plant
• Cutting is a method when a piece of the stem is cut from a plant
• Layering is a method wherein a low branch of the plant is bent down close to the ground and covered in moist soil in such a way that its growing tip is above the soil
• Grafting is a method where two different plants are joined together to grow into a new plant
• Sexual reproduction in plants often involves the alternation of generations in their life cycle
• Asexual reproduction in plants can be in the form of vegetative reproduction or apomixes