Introduction to Reproduction in Plants Reproduction may be described as the process by which an offspring (new organism) is produced. Plants may reproduce asexually and sexually. Some plants may utilize both means of reproduction depending on the circumstances. In asexual reproduction, there are usually no gametes involved and one plant will produce an offspring on…
Tag: Reproduction in Plants
Natural forms of vegetative propagation
Natural forms of vegetative propagation Vegetative propagation involves artificial and natural means by which plants reproduce. Natural means of vegetative propagation includes: Runners/stolons: some plants produce long side shoots that develop roots, eventually forming a new plant. Example Strawberry, Spider plant. Leaves: some plants, such as the Leaf of Life, have young plants on their…
Germination
Germination Germination is the process by which a seed develops into a seedling. Seeds germinate when they encounter suitable conditions. Some seeds may be dormant for very long periods before they start to develop into new plants. The conditions necessary for germination are: *Water- which activates the enzymes in the seed. *Oxygen- which is needed…
Seed Structure
Seed Structure Flowering plants may be monocotyledon or dicotyledon in nature. This will influence their seed structure and also the way the seed germinates. Monocotyledons have one cotyledon as the name suggests while dicotyledons have 2. The structure of these two types of seeds may be seen before. Structure of a red pea seed (monocotyledon)…
Fruit Structure and Seed Dispersal
Fruit Structure and Seed Dispersal Fruits serve the purpose of protecting the seed(s) that they surround. Animals often will eat these fruits and in discarding the seed, aid with dispersal. Seed dispersal is important as it helps in ensuring that too many of the same plants are not in the same place. If too many…
Artificial Forms of Vegetative Propagation
Artificial Forms of Vegetative Propagation Artificial vegetative propagation as the name suggests does not occur naturally. There are several ways in which man can interfere with plants so as to get a desired offspring. This type of propagation may be carried out in order to get healthier plants, desired traits, more rapid and efficient production…
Asexual Reproduction in Plants
Asexual Reproduction in Plants Mitosis involves the production of new cells which are identical to the parent cell. The diagram above shows how identical cells are produced from the replication of one cell. The term diploid simply means that the daughter cells have the same number of chromosomes as the original (parent) cell. Binary fission…
Sexual Reproduction in Plants
Sexual Reproduction in Plants This type of reproduction only occurs in flowering plants which produce female and male sex cells. For the male sex cell to reach the female sex cell there is often pollination. This is the process by which a pollen grain containing the male sex cell is transferred to the stigma of…