"The birds and the bees"... Did you miss Something ?
- Dec 31, 2015
- 2 min read
Everyone knows that animals reproduce sexually. However, have you ever thought about how plants reproduce? Scientists found that plants can reproduce in both sexual and asexual manners. Obviously, plants will not move toward each other to make this procces happen, but they have key steps for sexual reproduction to work.
Birds and the Bees:
The popular phrase "the birds and the bees" came about to discuss the basic facts of sex and reproduction. This phrase is a metaphor for explaining the mechanics of reproduction to younger children, relying on imagery of bees pollinating and eggs hatching to substitute for a more technical explanation of sexual intercourse.
Sexual reproduction..
is the production of a living organism by combining genetic information from two organisms of different types. Therefore, If you're an organism, you were produced through sexual reproduction and you will need to reproduce in order to continue your species. If your species does not reproduce, there will not be a continuation of your species, resulting in the species becoming extinct and dying off.
Sexual reproduction is also formed by the fusion of gametes to produce offspring. Gametes are a mature haploid in the male or female germ cell, that is able to connect with another of the opposite sex in sexual reproduction to form a zygote.
Flowers contain, stamens (male) and carpels (female), which are reproductive structures. Stamens produce pollen grains, which contain two sperm cells. Carpels contain the egg cells. Seeds develop following pollination and fertilization. This is the fusion of the male and female gametes. Sexual reproduction in a flowering plant has two main stages, which are called, Pollination and Fertilization.
Why is this important ?
In plants, the male gamete is in the pollen, while the female gamete is in the ovum. This is different compared to animals because in animals, the male gamete is in the sperm while the female gamete is in the egg. Knowing the similarities and differences beween plants and animals could really help you understand how plants reproduce sexually.
When do plants reproduce in an asexual manner?
As stated above, it is possible for plants to reproduce in an asexual manner as well. When the plant reproduces asexually, the seeds begin on the flower. In order to reproduce, the seeds have to be knocked off the flower and land on the ground. After that happens, the seed will grow, and the process will happen again. Therefore, plants can reproduce asexually and sexually.
Source:
~"Reproduction in Plants." - Biology Encyclopedia. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2015.
~"Plant Reproduction - They'll Make More." Biology4Kids.com: Plants: Reproduction. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2015.
~"How Do Plants Reproduce Sexually? - B4FA - B4FA." B4FA. N.p., n.d. Web. 22 Dec. 2015.
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