Topic 9.4 – Reproduction in Plants Essential idea: Reproduction in flowering plants is influenced by the biotic and abiotic environment.

Skill: Drawing of half views of animal-pollinated flowers.

Skill: Drawing of half views of animal-pollinated flowers.

Skill: Drawing of half views of animal-pollinated flowers.

Success in plant reproduction depends on pollination, fertilization and seed dispersal. Seed dispersal is often done through mutualism with animals.

Most flowering plants use mutualistic relationships with pollinators in sexual reproduction. Pollination refers to the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma Cross - Pollination is the transfer of pollen between different flowers, and is preferred in plants, since it leads to greater genetic diversity. Flying Grey Headed Fox – Actually is a type of bat that plays a prominent role in the pollination of jungle species. Plants are pretty sneaky….. Pollen transfer can be done through wind or water, but most often through an animal, such as birds, bats, or insects. Review – Mutualism is a close association between two organisms where both benefit from the relationship

Flowering involves a change in gene expression in the shoot apex. All factors that influence flowering do so by applying selective pressure to the population, which in turn influences the genetics of the population. The common understanding that flowering is influenced by abiotic factors is rapidly being met by the understanding that biotic factors play an important role.

Control of Flowering Flowering is a change in gene expression in the apex of the shoot. This change in gene expression is brought on by a difference in day/night length. More than 85% of the world’s 250,000 species of flowering plants rely on pollinators to assist them through pollination, fertilization and seed dispersal. It’s a group effort! So what happens if the pollinators disappear?

Kidney Bean Corn Seed A kidney bean is a model dicot organism. Skill: Drawing the internal structures of seeds. Kidney Bean A kidney bean is a model dicot organism. Corn Seed Draw and compare the two seed structures. A corn seed is a model monocot organism.