plant life cycle and reproduction

• Plant Life Cycle

  1. Seed Stage

  2. Germination

  3. Seedling Stage

  4. Vegetative Growth

  5. Reproductive Stage

  6. Fruit and Seed Formation

  7. Seed Dispersal

  8. Seed Dormancy

  9. Germination (again)
• Cones

  Parts of some seed plants where reproduction occurs, do not develop into fruit
• Pollen

  Powder-like material involved in plant reproduction
• Pollination

  Pollen is moved from the male plant part to the female plant part
• Pistil

  The female part of the plant, where seeds form
• Stamen

  The male part of the plant
• Spores

  Reproductive structures that can grow into new plants
• Fronds

  • Leaves of ferns
• Diplontic (or Diplontic Life Cycle)

  The dominant multicellular stage is diploid (2n), gametes are the only haploid (n) stage
• Diplontic Life Cycle

  1. Gametes (n)

  2. Zygote (2n)

  3. Sporophyte (2n)

  4. Spores (n)
• Haplontic (or Haplontic Life Cycle)

  The dominant multicellular stage is haploid (n), the diploid stage is only the zygote
• Haplontic Life Cycle

  1. Gametophyte (n)

  2. Gametes (n)

  3. Zygote (2n)
• Plant Life Cycle


  1. Seed stage

  2. Germination

  3. Seedling stage

  4. Vegetative growth

  5. Reproductive stage

  6. Fruit and seed formation

  7. Seed dispersal

  8. Seed dormancy

  9. Germination (again)
• Cones


  Parts of some seed plants where reproduction occurs, do not develop into fruit
• Pollen


  Powder-like material involved in plant reproduction
• Pollination


  1. Pollen is moved from the male plant part to the female plant part

  2. Environment around a plant helps in pollination
• Pistil


  The female part of a plant, seeds form here
• Stamen


  The male part of a plant
• Spores


  Reproductive structures that can grow into new plants, used by ferns
• Diplontic (or Diplontic Life Cycle)


  • Dominant multicellular stage is diploid (2n)
  • Gametes are the only haploid (n) stage
  • Zygote undergoes mitosis to produce a multicellular diploid organism (sporophyte)
• Stages of Diplontic Life Cycle

  • Gametes (n)
  • Zygote (2n)
  • Sporophyte (2n)
  • Spores (n)
• Haplontic (or Haplontic Life Cycle)


  • Dominant multicellular stage is haploid (n)
  • Diploid stage is only the zygote, which immediately undergoes meiosis
• Stages of Haplontic Life Cycle

  • Gametophyte (n)
  • Gametes (n)
  • Zygote (2n)
• Haplo-Diplontic (or Haplo-Diplontic Life Cycle)


  • Both haploid (n) and diploid (2n) multicellular stages are present and free-living
  • Haploid stage produces gametes, diploid stage produces spores
• Stages of Haplo-Diplontic Life Cycle

  • Gametophyte (n)
  • Gametes (n)
  • Zygote (2n)
  • Sporophyte (2n)
  • Spores (n)
• Plant Reproductive System


  • Stamen (male reproductive structures)
  • Pistil (female reproductive structures)
• Angiosperms


  Plants that produce flowers and whose seeds are protected by fruits, shells, or seed pods
• Gymnosperms


  Plants that do not have flowers and produce "naked-seeds" (seeds not protected by an outer casing)
• Stamen


  Male reproductive organ, consists of pollen sac (anther) and supporting filament
• Pistil


  Female reproduction structure in a flower, where fertilization takes place and will ripen into a fruit
• Petals


  Highly colored portions of a flower, may contain perfume
• Sepals


  Small, green, leaflike structures located at the base of a flower, protect the flower bud
• Asexual reproduction


  Reproduction that does not involve male and female gametes
• Sexual reproduction in plants

  Accomplished through pollination, transfer of pollen grains from stamen to pistil
• Types of Flowers


  • Complete flowers
  • Incomplete flowers
  • Perfect flowers
  • Imperfect flowers
  • Monoecious flowers
  • Dioecious flowers
• Complete Flowers


  Flowers that have all four main parts: sepals, petals, stamens, and pistils
• Incomplete Flowers


  Flowers that lack one or more of the main parts (sepals, petals, stamens, or pistils)
• Perfect Flowers


  Also known as bisexual flowers, perfect flowers have both male (stamens) and female (pistil) reproductive organs
• Imperfect Flowers


  Flowers that are missing either the male (stamens) or female (pistil) reproductive organs
• Monoecious Flowers


  Monoecious plants have separate male and female flowers on the same plant