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Reproduction - Sexual reproduction in plants

Grade 12IGCSEBiology

Review the key concepts, formulae, and examples before starting your quiz.

🔑Concepts

Flower Structure: The stamen is the male reproductive organ, consisting of the anther (produces pollen) and filament. The carpel (or pistil) is the female organ, consisting of the stigma, style, and ovary containing ovules.

Pollination: The transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma. This can occur via wind or insects. Cross-pollination involves the transfer of pollen between different plants of the same species, promoting genetic variation.

Fertilization: After pollination, a pollen tube grows down the style to the ovule. The male gamete nucleus (nn) fuses with the female gamete nucleus (nn) to form a diploid zygote (2n2n).

Seed and Fruit Development: Following fertilization, the zygote develops into an embryo, the ovule becomes the seed, and the ovary wall develops into the fruit.

Germination Conditions: For a seed to germinate, it requires Water (to activate enzymes and swell the testa), Oxygen (for aerobic respiration to produce ATPATP), and a suitable Temperature (for optimal enzyme activity).

Ploidy Levels: Gametes in plants are haploid (nn), meaning they contain half the set of chromosomes. Upon fusion, they restore the diploid (2n2n) number in the sporophyte generation.

📐Formulae

n+n2nn + n \rightarrow 2n

Magnification=Measured size of imageActual size of object\text{Magnification} = \frac{\text{Measured size of image}}{\text{Actual size of object}}

Percentage Germination=(Number of seeds germinatedTotal number of seeds)×100\text{Percentage Germination} = \left( \frac{\text{Number of seeds germinated}}{\text{Total number of seeds}} \right) \times 100

💡Examples

Problem 1:

A student measures a drawing of a pollen grain to be 30 mm30\text{ mm} in diameter. If the actual size of the pollen grain is 0.06 mm0.06\text{ mm}, calculate the magnification used for the drawing.

Solution:

Magnification=30 mm0.06 mm=500×\text{Magnification} = \frac{30\text{ mm}}{0.06\text{ mm}} = 500\times

Explanation:

To find the magnification, divide the image size (the drawing) by the actual size of the biological specimen. Ensure both units are identical (mm) before dividing.

Problem 2:

Identify the number of chromosomes in the endosperm of a plant if the leaf cells contain 2424 chromosomes.

Solution:

Leaf cell (2n)=24    n=12\text{Leaf cell } (2n) = 24 \implies n = 12 Endosperm (3n)=3×12=36\text{Endosperm } (3n) = 3 \times 12 = 36

Explanation:

Somatic cells like leaf cells are diploid (2n2n). In many angiosperms, double fertilization occurs where one male gamete fuses with two polar nuclei to form a triploid (3n3n) endosperm.

Sexual reproduction in plants - Revision Notes & Key Diagrams | IGCSE Grade 12 Biology