Seed Plants: Angiosperms

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to angiosperms and their reproductive adaptations based on lecture notes.

Angiosperms

The most widespread and diverse group of seed plants, classified under the phylum Anthophyta.

Flowers

Specialized structures in angiosperms for sexual reproduction that facilitate pollen transfer.

Fruits

Develop from the ovary and enclose the seeds, aiding in seed dispersal.

Complete flowers

Flowers that contain all four main floral organs: sepals, petals, stamens, and carpels.

Incomplete flowers

Flowers missing one or more of the four main floral organs.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen from an anther to a stigma, crucial for fertilization in angiosperms.

Double fertilization

A unique process in angiosperms where one sperm fertilizes the egg and another forms the endosperm.

Gametophytes

Haploid structures that produce gametes; in angiosperms, male and female gametophytes are found in pollen and ovules.

Self-fertilization

A reproductive strategy in which a flower fertilizes itself; can lead to reduced genetic diversity.

Coevolution

The process whereby two or more species mutually influence each other's evolution, as seen in flowers and their pollinators.

Asexual reproduction

A reproductive strategy involving the production of genetically identical clones, such as through fragmentation.

Microsopores

Spores that develop into pollen grains, containing the male gametophytes of angiosperms.

Megasporangium

A structure within the ovary where megasporocytes undergo meiosis to produce megaspores.

Adaptive advantages of angiosperm fertilization

Include resource conservation and efficiency due to the developmental processes initiated by fertilization.

Temporal separation

A mechanism to prevent self-fertilization where the reproductive organs mature at different times.