Unit 3- Module 9 Sexual Reproduction in plants

Q: What is self-pollination?

A: Pollen from a flower fertilizes ovules of the same flower or plant.

Q: What is a benefit of cross-pollination?

A: It increases genetic diversity in offspring.

Q: What term describes species with male and female flowers on different plants?

A: Dioecious.

Q: Why do flowers use nectar guides?

A: To attract and direct pollinators to the nectar and reproductive organs.

Q: What organisms often pollinate night-blooming flowers?

A: Moths and bats.

Q: What is food deception in plants?

A: When a flower mimics food but offers no reward to attract pollinators (e.g., orchids that look like nectar-producing flowers but have none).

Q: What happens to the ovary tissues after fertilization in angiosperms?

A: The ovary develops into a fruit.

Q: Where are food reserves stored in seeds?

A: In the endosperm or cotyledons.

Q: Describe double fertilization in angiosperms.

A: One sperm fertilizes the egg (forming a zygote), the other fuses with two polar nuclei (forming triploid endosperm).

Q: What distinguishes dicots from monocots?

A: Dicots have two cotyledons; monocots have one.

Q: What is the coleoptile and its function?

A: A protective sheath covering the emerging shoot in monocots, helping it push through soil.

Q: What is vernalization?

A: The requirement of a period of cold to induce flowering.

Q: What do true fruits develop from?

A: The ovary of a flower.

Q: What do multiple fruits develop from?

A: A group of flowers (inflorescence).

Q: Where does the fleshy edible part of a fruit usually come from?

A: The ovary wall.

Q: What is the main purpose of a fruit?

A: To aid in seed dispersal.

Q: What do wind-borne fruits have for dispersal?

A: Wings, hairs, or parachute-like structures (e.g., dandelion pappus)

Q: Why is seed dispersal necessary?

A: To reduce competition with the parent plant and colonize new areas.