Plant reproduction

• Life cycle of a plant

  1. Germination

  2. Seedling

  3. Growth

  4. Flowering

  5. Pollination

  6. Fertilisation

  7. Seed dispersal
• Flower


  Reproductive organs of a plant, containing male and female sex parts
• Pollination


  Pollen grains transferred from anther to female stigma
• Animal pollination


  • Insects/animals visit flowers, pollen sticks to them and is transferred to other flowers
  • Plants adapted to attract pollinators (large flowers, bright colours, strong scent, nectar)
• Wind pollination


  • Pollen from one plant's flowers blown by wind to stigma of another plant
  • Plants have small petals, no scent/nectar, produce large amounts of lightweight pollen
• Bright petals on flowers


  To attract pollinators
• Bees have lots of little hairs

  Makes them excellent pollinators as pollen can stick to them
• Fertilisation


  1. Pollen tube grows down style to reach ovule

  2. Nucleus of pollen grain joins with nucleus of ovule
• Fertilised ovule


  Becomes a seed, ovary swells and becomes a fruit
• Fruit


  • Usually sweet and fleshy to attract animals to eat and disperse the seeds
• Methods of seed dispersal

  • Wind
  • Animals (carrying or eating)
  • Water
  • Explosion
• Seeds are dispersed away from parent plant to avoid overcrowding and competition
• Germination


  The seed absorbs water, root grows down, shoot grows up, plant starts photosynthesising
• Seeds need water, oxygen and warmth to germinate
• If a seed doesn't get those things, it won't be able to germinate and grow