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  • Course Biology Global - for use with NGSS (NEW)
  • Unit 7 Plants
  • Concept 7.1 Plant Reproduction

    • Plant Reproduction

    Thinking about Pollinating Plants

    Have you ever seen a field of wildflowers with butterflies fluttering back and forth? Such a scene is renowned for its beauty. The beauty, however, is not just in the eye, but also in the relationship between plants and animals; you might not know it, but the butterflies and the flowers surrounding them work together for a very important function. The vast majority of flowering plants depend upon arthropods, reptiles, birds, or even mammals for their reproduction, and it is the animals that move the pollenglossary term (opens in a new window) from flower to flower. These relationships are so important that the very structures of the plants, and their pollinators, have evolved for the purpose.

    Pollination by Animals
    Pollination by Animals
    Plants and their pollinators often have very specific structures that form the basis of their close relationships. What constraints does your favorite flower's structure place on it's pollinators?

    Will that field of wildflowers cause you to sneeze and have watery eyes? Perhaps you, or someone in your family, experiences “cedar fever” or “hay fever.” For many people, the spring is heralded by seasonal allergies. Spring is the time when most plants reproduce. Plant reproduction often involves pollen, and this powdery material can bring symptoms such as a runny nose and itchy eyes to an allergic person. Imagine almost every plant around you releasing pollen within a short period of time. It is no wonder that the amount of pollen in the air is so high that many people are miserable for weeks during this time of year.

    A Future Oak Tree
    A Future Oak Tree
    Squirrels and other animals consume acorns for food. What is the relationship between animals and the reproduction of an oak tree?

    Do your favorite snack foods include fruits, nuts, or seeds? Seeds are often the products of plant reproduction. Seeds come in a variety of shapes and sizes. Sometimes, seeds come in a form that is not readily identifiable as a seedglossary term (opens in a new window), such as the kernels on an ear of corn, for example. The seeds of some plants are found inside fruits or nuts. What types of seeds are familiar to you?

    Explain Question

    How are male and female gametes transferred during reproduction in different types of plants?

    Only Bees Need Apply
    Only Bees Need Apply
    Bees are attracted to flowers in order to get food. Plants also benefit from this relationship. Why would the orchid develop so specific a reproductive strategy?

    Teacher Note

    Use this formative assessment to help students begin to understand relationships between cause and effect in biological systems. This activity provides feedback on prior knowledge of pollination. This activity would work well with paired student discussions.

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    What are the potential advantages and disadvantages of the close relationship between plants and their pollinators?
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    Before You Begin

    What do I already know about plant reproduction?

    Teacher Note

    Use individual student responses on this formative assessment to provide feedback on prior knowledge of this topic. The assessment will determine if students can identify angiosperms as flowering plants and if students understand the fundamental differences in reproduction between flowering and nonflowering seed plants.

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    Classify the following as characteristics of some angiosperms, gymnosperms, or both.
    • produce flowers
    • produce fruit
    • produce pollen
    • produce cones
    • produce seeds
    • pollinated by wind
    • pollinated by animals
    •
      Angiosperms
    •
      Gymnosperms
    •
      Both Angiosperms and Gymnosperms
    Incorrect Answer
    Correct Answer

    Teacher Note

    This formative assessment examines prior knowledge of plant reproduction, specifically the importance of seed production to the variation and spread of plants across the globe. Use this activity as class discussion to begin the lesson.

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    Discuss the potential advantages for plant species that produce seeds as part of their reproductive strategy.
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    Teacher Note

    This formative assessment activity is intended to provide the teacher with feedback on prior knowledge of this topic. Its main focus is to determine whether students know the structures of plants related to reproduction. This activity can be completed individually.

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    Identify the parts of the flower. Match each term to the correct letter on the diagram of the flower.

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    Delete selected connection.
    anther
    filament
    ovule
    petal
    pistil
    stamen
    stigma
    style
    stem
    sepals
    a.
    b.
    c.
    d.
    e.
    f.
    g.
    h.
    i.
    j.

    Teacher Note

    This formative assessment activity will provide some feedback on potential student misconceptions on plant reproduction. Students who choose A do not know that some plants self-fertilize. Students who choose D may not realize that fungi produce spores or that fungi are not plants. Students who choose F may not realize that fruit contains seeds and is a result of sexual reproduction Students who do NOT choose B and/or C may have no prior knowledge of plant reproduction. Students who do NOT choose E may think that all plants have separate male and female sexes. This activity can be completed as a class discussion to review/introduce the meaning of the terms and relate them to reproduction of various life forms.

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    Which of the following statements about plant reproductive processes are true?
    • A.
      <div use-dimensions="false" tinymce="true">Male gametes can never fertilize an egg from the same plant.<br></div>
      Male gametes can never fertilize an egg from the same plant.
    • B.
      <div use-dimensions="false" tinymce="true">Seeds are the result of sexual reproduction.<br></div>
      Seeds are the result of sexual reproduction.
    • C.
      <div use-dimensions="false" tinymce="true">Double fertilization is a reproductive process unique to plants.<br></div>
      Double fertilization is a reproductive process unique to plants.
    • D.
      <div use-dimensions="false" tinymce="true">Spore formation occurs only in plants.<br></div>
      Spore formation occurs only in plants.
    • E.
      <div use-dimensions="false" tinymce="true">Male and female structures may be present on a single plant.</div>
      Male and female structures may be present on a single plant.
    • F.
      <div use-dimensions="false" tinymce="true">The production of fruit is the result of asexual reproduction.<br><br></div>
      The production of fruit is the result of asexual reproduction.

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    Classify the following as either a structure required for photosynthesis to occur, reactant in the process, or a product the process.
    • glucose
    • grana
    • thykaloids
    • oxygen
    • carbon dioxide
    • water
    • sunlight
    • chloroplasts
    •
      Structures
    •
      Reactants
    •
      Products
    Incorrect Answer
    Correct Answer

    Find out More About...

    • the difference between sexual and asexual reproduction
    • the main structures of plants
    • the four main categories of plants
    • the process of photosynthesis

    Lesson Questions

    • What are the methods of asexual and sexual reproduction in plants?
    • What are the reproductive structures in plants?
    • What are the processes of pollination and fertilization in plants?
    • What is the influence of light on plant growth and development?
    • What are plant responses to gravity and touch?
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