Like the rest of living beings, plants need to reproduce to perpetuate themselves in the environment. However, as well as the vast majority of animals are limited to sexual reproduction to generate new members of their species, plants have more ways to reproduce.
If you are interested in learning on this topic, keep reading this ecology article, because in the following lines we will see what are the different forms of plants reproduction And how they work, both in the case of Flower plants as in the Plants without flowers.
Types of plants reproduction
When we try to classify plants according to their type of reproduction, there are two large Types of plant reproduction: Asexual and sexual reproduction. There is a huge variety in their methods and forms of reproduction, but these are the two great types that classify them.
Sexual reproduction in plants
Sexual reproduction occurs from the genetic material of two parents, in which they join The gametes: One female and a masculine one. It is the most common reproduction between plants and, in fact, plants reproduction by seeds It is almost always sexual.
This type of plant reproduction can occur by alogamia, which is when that fertilization occurs between two different plants by means of the wind or pollinators and other animals that pollinate, or by autogamia, which is when the plant itself fertilizes itself.
Asexual reproduction in plants
Asexual reproduction, on the other hand, has its origin in a process of Cellular mythosis and gives rise to a new individual exactly the same as his parent. It occurs above all in Non -vascular plants And it can occur by spores, propagules or by people, in the form of vegetative multiplication.
In this other ecology article, we show you more about the plants with asexual reproduction: characteristics and examples.
Reproduction of flowers with flowers
The reproduction of flowers with flowers It depends on three processes: pollination, fertilization and germination.
Flower pollination
The pollination of flowers is the necessary passage between different plants. This step can be given by the action of agents such as wind or water, or by Living pollinatorswhich are generally insects, although sometimes it is given by birds, such as humming, or small mammals. The flowers attract pollinators with their colors and aromas and when they approach to feed on the nectar, these insects are permeated by pollen. When traveling then to feed on other flowers, they transport the pollen there and the following phase can occur: fertilization.
Fertilization in plants
When a pollen grain falls the stigma of a pistil, a zygote is formed, which is nothing other than The Embryo of the New Plant. It is a first cell that will begin to divide and grow, protected and fed by the plant itself, which will give it a hard roof: it is created A seed.
A fruit will also grow around the seed, which will protect the seed and provide it with necessary substances and nutrients. This fruit, usually designed to attract animals and be consumed, will end either falling to the ground, or being transported away by one of its predators, thus giving greater possibilities of propagation to its seeds.
Plant germination
Once the seed falls on fertile soil and in the appropriate conditions, the germination phase begins, which is when The seed opens and form roots and an outbreak, that is, The new plant. The seeds are very resistant and can expect large amounts of time for conditions to be adequate to germinate.
Flower plants, according to reproduction, can be divided between Gymnosperms and angiosperms. Here you can consult more information about this classification of plants reproduction:
- Gymnosperms plants: what are, characteristics and examples.
- Angiosperms plants: what are, characteristics and examples.
Plants without flowers
Plants without flowers reproduce differently, since they do not have flowers or seeds. The ferns or mossesfor example, they are plants that are reproduced by spores as follows:
- The spores are stored on the underside of the leaves in some saquitos called soros, as seen in the image below. These only open when the time is dry, letting the wind transport the spores, lowercase and very light.
- When the spore falls to the ground receives the necessary conditions of moisture and temperature, it will germinate leading to a gametophyte: a small plant with both female and masculine sexual organs.
- The rainwater will transport the male cells of this gametophyte to another feminine and, when this fertilization occurs, a new individual of the species will come out.
It is important to note that gametophytes are very small plants and that are not adult specimens of their species and, in addition, their only function be part of the plant’s reproduction. Thus, a fern gametophyte is not a fern, if not a part of the spores reproduction process.
Apart from this, we want to clarify that plants without flowers can be divided into briophytes and pteridophytes. In these other articles you can know in detail the briophyte plants: examples and characteristics and the pteridophyte plants: what are, types and examples.
In addition, to expand this information and learn more about the lives of plants, we advise these other posts about the cycle of plants and plants. Also below you can see a Plant reproduction video.
If you want to read more articles similar to Plants reproductionwe recommend that you enter our biology category.
