Plant Reproduction

http://knol.google.com/k/-/-/EkTARd8k/Zzfr2g/Phaius%20flowers.jpg

Reproduction

The only way a species can survive is if more individuals of the same species are constantly being produced.

Reproduction is a chain of events that leads to the creation of one or more new individuals.

Not all living things reproduce in the same way. There are two types of reproduction: asexual and sexual.

Asexual Reproduction

A new organism is produced from one parent organism. A new cell is formed by splitting of an old one to make a copy or a clone. The only variation in what they look like is due to the environment they grow up in.

Some types of asexual reproduction are: fission, budding, spores, fragmentation followed by regeneration.

Example: a mushroom can reproduce asexually.

http://www.lawncare-business.com/mushrooms.jpg

Sexual Reproduction

This is when two cells each with half the DNA combine and create a living cell. When plants hit a point in evolution, sexual reproduction occurs more often.

These two sex cells may come from one individual organism or two parent organisms of different sex. The two sex cells are called gametes which fuse together to form a zygote, which divides to form a new organism.

Sexual reproduction causes variation in the offspring. This variation means that organisms have more of a chance of surviving in changing conditions.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/hometruths/media/20050110_foster.jpg

Plants

A lot of plants reproduce sexually. The female gametes are in the ovaries of a plant in a structure called an ovule. Male gametes are produced in the anthers and are found inside pollen grains.

Self pollination is when the pollen is transferred to the stigma on the same plant.

Cross pollination is when pollen is transferred from one flower to another.

http://hgcny.org/Images/bee_glade.jpg

Next activity

Now go back to your wiki and go to the resources page where you will find the activity that you need to do.

There is an instructions page for the activity that you will want to print out, to help you.