Flower Development and Genetics

These flashcards cover essential concepts related to flower development, pollination, fertilization, and genetics in plants.

Flower Primordium

The initial flowering parts that develop from the apical meristem.

Anthesis

The process of flower opening; time to anthesis varies among species, cultivars, and temperatures.

Self Pollination

Transfer of pollen from anther to stigma within the same flower or plant.

Cross Pollination

Transfer of pollen from anther to stigma between different flowers or plants.

Angiosperms

Flowering plants where the pollen tube grows through the style to discharge sperm nuclei into the embryo sac.

Parthenocarpy

Development of fruit without pollination or fertilization, resulting in seedless fruit.

Gene

A sequence of triplet organic bases along a DNA molecule that determines a particular characteristic.

Homologous Chromosomes

Pairs of chromosomes in a cell that have the same genes at the same loci but may have different alleles.

Dominant Gene

A gene that expresses a trait whether the plant is homozygous or heterozygous for that gene.

Recessive Gene

A gene that only expresses its trait when both alleles are recessive.

Mitosis

Cell division that produces two identical daughter cells, maintaining the same genetic information as the parent cell.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that produces gametes with half the chromosome number, leading to genetic variation.

Genetic Segregation

The process during meiosis where maternal and paternal chromosomes separate into different gametes, allowing for genetic diversity.

Heritability

The proportion of phenotypic variance in a trait attributable to genetic variance.

Asexual Reproduction

Reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes, resulting in clones of the parent.

Hybrid Cultivars

Offspring resulting from the cross of two different plant varieties, often exhibiting 'hybrid vigor'.