SEXUAL REPRODUCTION IN FLOWERING PLANTS CLASS 12 BOTANY CLASS NOTES

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants involves the production of male and female gametes, pollination, fertilization, and seed formation. The male gametes are produced in the pollen grains of the anther, while the female gametes are present in the ovule within the ovary. Pollination, the transfer of pollen from the anther to the stigma, can occur via wind, water, insects, or animals. After pollination, the pollen tube grows through the style to deliver sperm cells to the ovule. Fertilization occurs when one sperm cell fuses with the egg to form a zygote, while another fuses with polar nuclei to form the endosperm, a process called double fertilization. The zygote develops into an embryo, and the ovule matures into a seed, while the ovary becomes the fruit, ensuring dispersal and continuation of the plant species.