Plant Reproduction and Growth

1. Like all living organisms, plants use the process of reproduction to produce offspring. Different species have different ways of reproducing, but they all have specialized structures for reproduction. What is offspring?

• genes

• reproductive organ

• new life

• bacteria

2. ALL plants can produce SEXUALLY.Plants produced by sexual reproduction are genetically different from both parents and from each other. This genetic variation increases the chance that some offspring will have traits that help them survive in a changing environment. Which would be an example of a plant with characteristics of survival?

• a cactus with needles

• a flower with petals

• a tree with leaves

• a palm tree with coconuts

Seedless Plants: Seedless plants do NOT produce seeds for reproduction. Instead of seeds, the bodies of seedless plants grow from spores. A spore is a tiny structure that is dispersed from the parent plant and can grow into a new plant body. A sperm of one plant must swim through water to fertilize the egg of another plant. Most seedless plants live in a moist environment because of their requirement of water to reproduce.A fertilized egg grows into a stalk-like structure that produces spores. True or False: a pine cone would be an example of a spore

• True

• False

Reproduction of seed plants: In plants WITH seeds, sperm are carried in a structure called pollen. Pollen looks like fine dust and can be transported by wind, water, and animals. Eggs develop inside a structure of the plant called an ovule. Ovule has a small opening where transported pollen can get inside. When the pollen reaches and fertilizes an egg, Pollination occurs. Pollination is a form of how plants ____________.

• get rid of waste

• circulate air

• reproduce

• breathe

A fertilized egg develops into an embryo. The embryo will then grow into a new plant.The ovule becomes the seed, the structure that contains the embryo inside a protective coating. Seeds can be distributed away from the parent plant by wind, water, or animals. After seeds have been dispersed, they will grow into new plants. Which example is NOT how seeds can be distributed?

• buying seeds at Home Depot

• a bee carrying seeds from its skin from one plant to the next

• the wind blowing pollen across a field

• a flood moving seedlings from one location to another

Seeds can be classified as nonflowering or flowering. Nonflowering plants produce seeds that are not enclosed in a fruit. Most nonflowering seed plants produce seeds enclosed in a structure called a cone. Flowering plants produce flowers and fruit. Flowering plants are the largest group of plants that live on land. Which of these would be an example of a flowering plant?

• pine tree

• maple tree

• oak tree

• apple tree

Many plants are able to reproduce sexually. Example: potatoes, spider plants. Potatoes can sprout roots that take hold in the soil and produce a new plant.Spider plants produce plantlets. Plantlets are tiny plants that grow along the edges of a plant’s leaves. They eventually break off and develop into new plants. Asexual reproduction in plants result in offspring that are genetically identical to the parent. Which of these examples reproduce sexually

• fern

• rose

• evergreen tree

Plants cannot move around to find mates or to deposit their seeds in the perfect spot for growth. Wind and water can assist plant reproduction. Also, many plants rely on insects, birds, or mammals to carry their pollen and seeds. From your prior knowledge, which insect plays the biggest role in helping plants deposit their seeds

• ants

• bees

• roaches

• crickets

Which part of the flower do you think reproduction takes place?

• petal

• stigma

• stamem

• ovary

Which part of the plant, protects the plant?

• petal

• stem

• sepal

• pistil