Flowers add beauty to the nature. They are an absolute treat to our eyes. Flowers is an organ of the plant. It's function is to reproduce through the process of pollination and fertilization.
We will go through both processes.
Pollination is the process in which a pollinator ( any substance, object or living thing that transfers the pollen from the anther to the stigma is known as the pollinator ) transfers the pollens from the anther to the stigma. This process is vital for the reproduction of the plants.
.First we will go through the parts of a flower.
Parts of Flowers:
Female part: Pistil is known as the female part of the flower. It consists of 3 other parts.
Stigma
Style
Ovary (ovule inside it)
Male part: Stamen is called the male part of a flower. It consists of 2 other parts.
Anther (produces pollens)
Filament
Pollinators:
First we should know who are pollinators? Pollinators are those insects or living organisms which help in the process of pollination by transferring the pollen grains from the anther (male part) to the stigma (female part). These pollinators are attracted by the bright colors of the petals.
Examples of Pollinators:
Bees=Insects
Human/People
Lions=Animals
Process of Pollination:
When a pollinator (bee) fly on the flower to suck nectar, found at the base of the sepals, some of the pollen from the anther stick on to their body. When they fly off, the pollens stuck to their body fall off on to the stigma of the flower. If the pollens fall off on to the stigma of the same flower, it is self-pollination. If the pollens fall of on to the stigma of another flower, this is called cross-pollination.
Fertilization:
When the pollens fall on the stigma, the pollens develop a pollen tube that goes all the way down, through the style, to the ovary and ovule inside it. The sperm cell (male gamete) then travels down the tube and enters the ovary and ovule. When the sperm cell, that was inside the pollen grain, reaches the ovule ( present inside the ovary) the process of fertilization starts. When the sperm cell fuses with one of the egg (female gamete) present inside the ovule, fertilization occurs.
After the Process of Fertilization:
After the fusion, zygote is formed. Over time as the zygote divides and an embryo develops. Now, after the process of fertilization has successfully taken place the ovary develops into a fruit and ovule develops into seeds. All the sepals and petals fall off. The seeds contain the embryo that will further develop into a big plant. The baby plant (embryo) inside the seed, is protected from unfavorable condition by the seed coat surrounding the seed.
* The process is followed by seed dispersal and germination which we will study later on.
Plants fertilization process is called sexual reproduction, where male and female gamete fuse together to form zygote.
*All pictures are taken from google*
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