Plant sexual reproduction occurs through a series of steps. These steps are called apomixis. The process involves developing unfertilized gametes into a new plant.
It is a process that occurs in seedless vascular and non-vascular plants. The resulting plant is known as a sporophyte, and it retains the same number of chromosomes as the parent plant.
Gametophyte
Sexual reproduction in gametophytes occurs using specialized cells to produce gametes. This process involves meiosis, but the gametes themselves are haploid. Fertilization between haploid gametes produces a diploid zygote, which undergoes multiple rounds of mitosis and develops into a sporophyte, a multicellular gametophyte.
Sporophyte
In plants, sporophytes are reproductive organs that produce spores. These spores develop into gametophytes and then produce female and male gametes through the process of meiosis. The resulting gametes are fertilized and produce a new sporophyte. This process is considered sexual, and asexual reproduction weakens the genetic pool of plant species.
Ovule
Ovules are the precursors of seeds, which are vital for plant propagation and food production. Numerous genes are involved in the development of the ovule, including transcription factors that regulate ovule spacing, identity, and integument formation. Many of these genes also interact with transcriptional regulators and cell surface receptors. The role of hormone levels in ovule development is also important. In addition, the role of auxin in ovule diversification has been investigated using orthologs from divergent angiosperm groups.
Stigma
The role of the stigma in sexual reproduction in plants is not fully understood. It has been proposed that the stigma exudate modulates the growth of the pollen tube and contributes to the senescence of the stigma after pollination. However, the function of stigma exudate may differ between species depending on their morphology and ecology. Using a proteomic approach, we have identified novel proteins and their functions in stigma exudate.
Style
Plants exhibit a variety of different processes and methods for sexual reproduction. Many of these are valuable commodities to humans and some are banes. Let’s take a look at some of the most common methods.
Style stores pollen
The style is a tube-like structure that stores pollen for sexual reproduction in plants. Pollen grains are transferred from the stigma to the style and then subsequently move through the ovary to the ovule. When the pollen grain reaches the ovule, it releases the male gamete. This release of the male gamete produces a fertilised egg, which develops into a seed.
Ovule stores pollen
The ovule is a sac where plants store pollen during sexual reproduction. Pollen grains are released from an anther, attached to the stigma of a female flower, and transferred to the ovule. In plant sexual reproduction, male and female gametes fuse in an ovule to produce an egg, which develops into a seed or fruit.