Reproductive Biology

These flashcards cover essential vocabulary related to reproduction in flowering plants and human reproductive health.

Reproduction

A vital process through which species continue to survive by leaving progeny.

Asexual Reproduction

A mode of reproduction that does not involve the fusion of gametes.

Sexual Reproduction

A mode of reproduction involving the creation of new variants through the fusion of male and female gametes.

Panchanan Maheshwari

Distinguished Indian botanist known for his work in embryology and taxonomy.

Androecium

The male reproductive part of a flower, consisting of stamens.

Gynoecium

The female reproductive part of a flower, consisting of carpels.

Microsporogenesis

The process of formation of microspores from pollen mother cells through meiosis.

Gamete

A mature sexual reproductive cell, such as a sperm or egg.

Pollen Grain

The male gametophyte which can develop into a sperm cell after pollination.

Embryo Sac

The female gametophyte of flowering plants, developing from a megaspore.

Micropyle

The small opening in the ovule through which the pollen tube enters.

Funicle

The stalk that attaches the ovule to the ovary wall.

Sporopollenin

A resistant organic material that makes up the exine layer of pollen grains.

Plant Fertilisation

The union of male pollen grain and female egg to form a zygote.

Apomixis

A form of asexual reproduction that mimics sexual reproduction.

Polyembryony

The occurrence of multiple embryos developing from a single fertilized egg.

Viability of Pollen Grains

The duration for which pollen grains remain capable of fertilization.

Endothecium

The layer of cells in an anther that helps in the dehiscence of pollen.

Meiosis

A type of cell division that reduces the chromosome number by half, leading to the formation of gametes.

Filiform Apparatus

A specialized structure in the synergids that helps in guiding pollen tubes.

Antipodal Cells

The three cells located at the chalazal end of the embryo sac.