Sexual Reproduction in Plants

Do flowers have both gametes within them?

Yes - the flower contains both male and female gametes.

What is the male reproductive part?

The stamen

What does the stamen consist of?

Anther: contains pollen grains - these produce the male gametes (sperm)

Filament: is the stalk that supports the anther

What is the female reproductive part of the flower?

Carpel

What does the carpel consist of?

Stigma: the end where the pollen grains connect to

Style: rod-like section that supports the stigma

Ovary: contains the female gametes (eggs) inside ovules

What is cross-pollination and why do plants do it?

Cross-pollination is a type of sexual reproduction where pollen is transferred from the anther of one plant to the stigma of another.

Plants that cross-pollinate rely on things like insects or the wind to help them pollinate.

What sort of pollination are some plants adapted for?

• Insect

• Wind

How are plants adapted for wind pollination?

• Small, dull petals on the flower (they don’t need to attract insects)

• No nectaries or strong scents (for the same reason)

• A lot of pollen grains - they’re small and light so that they can easily be carried by the wind

• Long filaments that hang the anthers outside the flower, so that a lot pollen gets blown away by the wind

• A large and feathery stigma to catch pollen as it’s carried past by the wind. The stigma often hangs outside the flower too.