sexual reproduction in plants

• what is the male side of the plant?

  • stamen - consists of filament and anther
  • anther - contains pollen grains - produce male gametes
  • filament - stalk that supports anther
• what is the female reproductive part?

  • carpel - consists of ovary, style and sigma
  • stigma - end bit that pollen grains attach to
  • style - rod like section supports the stigma
  • ovary - contains female gametes inside ovules
• what is pollination?

  • transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma - male gametes can fertilise the female gametes in sexual reproduction
• what is cross pollination?

  • type of sexual reproduction where pollen is transferred from an anther of one plant to stigma of another
  • cross pollinated plants rely on things like insects or wind to help them pollinate
• how are plants adapted for insect pollination?

  • brightly coloured petals to attract insects
  • scented flowers and nectaries to attract insects
  • make big sticky pollen grains - grains stick to insects as they go from plant to plant
  • stigma also sticky - any pollen picked up by insects on other plants will stick to its stigma
• how are some plants adapted for wind pollination?

  • Small dull petals on the flower
  • no nectaries or strong scents
  • lot of pollen grains - small and light easily carried by wind
  • long filaments that hang the anthers outside flower - lots of pollen gets blown away by the wind
  • large and feathery stigma to catch pollen - carried past by the wind - stigma hangs out the flower