Plant Reproduction/seeds definitions
Species – organisms that look similar and can sexually reproduce and produce
fertile, viable offspring.
Gymnosperms – plants that produce seeds, that are not enclosed in a fruit or ovary.
Angiosperms – flowering plants.
Asexual propagation - plants are asexually created without going through the seed
cycle.
Cuttings – a form off asexual propagation where a vegetative plant part is removed
from the parent plan to create a new daughter plant. A portion of a stem, root, or leaf
cut may be used for this.
Grafting – a form of asexual propagation when two separate plants are combined to
create a new plant.
Rootstock – the plant used for the rooting system during grafting.
Scion – the plant used for the preferred flower or fruit during grafting.
Micropropagation – plant tissue culture used to produce clones of plants.
Sexual reproduction – the production of offspring by the fusion of two gametes.
Asexual reproduction – reproduction with one parent, all offspring are clones of the
parent.
Gametes – sex cells (sperm and ova) which are produced by meiosis.
Fertilization – the fusion of haploid male and haploid female gametes, in the ovary
to form a diploid zygote.
Germination – the process where seeds absorb water.
Flowers – the sexual reproductive organs of angiosperms.
Sticky stigma - a part of the pistil, produces sticky substance to receives pollen and
site of pollination.
Style – supports the sticky stigma upright.
Ovary – contains ovules, after fertilisation the ovary around the developing ovule
becomes the fruit.
Superior ovary – if the ovary is above the stem, this is adapted for wind and insect
pollinated plants.
Inferior ovary – if the ovary is below the stem, it is adapted to bird pollinated
flowers.
Pistil – the female plants reproductive organs, including the sticky stigma, style and
ovary.
Whorls – rings of floral petals.
Species – organisms that look similar and can sexually reproduce and produce
fertile, viable offspring.
Gymnosperms – plants that produce seeds, that are not enclosed in a fruit or ovary.
Angiosperms – flowering plants.
Asexual propagation - plants are asexually created without going through the seed
cycle.
Cuttings – a form off asexual propagation where a vegetative plant part is removed
from the parent plan to create a new daughter plant. A portion of a stem, root, or leaf
cut may be used for this.
Grafting – a form of asexual propagation when two separate plants are combined to
create a new plant.
Rootstock – the plant used for the rooting system during grafting.
Scion – the plant used for the preferred flower or fruit during grafting.
Micropropagation – plant tissue culture used to produce clones of plants.
Sexual reproduction – the production of offspring by the fusion of two gametes.
Asexual reproduction – reproduction with one parent, all offspring are clones of the
parent.
Gametes – sex cells (sperm and ova) which are produced by meiosis.
Fertilization – the fusion of haploid male and haploid female gametes, in the ovary
to form a diploid zygote.
Germination – the process where seeds absorb water.
Flowers – the sexual reproductive organs of angiosperms.
Sticky stigma - a part of the pistil, produces sticky substance to receives pollen and
site of pollination.
Style – supports the sticky stigma upright.
Ovary – contains ovules, after fertilisation the ovary around the developing ovule
becomes the fruit.
Superior ovary – if the ovary is above the stem, this is adapted for wind and insect
pollinated plants.
Inferior ovary – if the ovary is below the stem, it is adapted to bird pollinated
flowers.
Pistil – the female plants reproductive organs, including the sticky stigma, style and
ovary.
Whorls – rings of floral petals.
