Why reproduce?
Textbook pp. 2–7 · Learning notesReproduction produces new individuals and ensures the continuity of a living thing's kind. Without new offspring, a population may eventually die out as its members die.
Cells are the basic building blocks of living things. Different cells have different jobs. Reproductive cells carry information that is passed from parents to offspring. This helps explain why offspring have characteristics similar to their parents, though they are not necessarily identical.
Human reproductive systems
Textbook pp. 8–9 · Learning notesReproductive organs produce reproductive cells or support reproduction. Select a system, then explore its parts. The systems mature during puberty, which happens at different ages and paces for different people.
From fertilisation to birth
Textbook pp. 10–11 · Learning notesFertilisation is the fusion of a male reproductive cell with a female reproductive cell. In humans, one sperm fuses with one egg. The fertilised egg develops into an embryo and then a foetus in the womb. Development before birth usually takes about 40 weeks.
Parts of a flower
Textbook pp. 12–14 · Learning notesFlowers contain reproductive parts. The anther and filament make up a male part. The stigma, style and ovary make up a female part; the ovary contains ovules. Explore this cutaway and trace what each part contains.
Pollination
Textbook pp. 15–16 · Learning notesPollination is the transfer of pollen grains from an anther to a stigma. It can occur within one flower, between flowers on the same plant, or between flowers on different plants of the same kind. Animals and wind can carry pollen.
Flowers, fruits and seeds
Textbook p. 17 · Learning notesA pollen grain on the stigma grows a pollen tube down the style towards an ovule. A male reproductive cell travels through the tube and fuses with the egg cell in the ovule. This fusion is fertilisation.
Seed dispersal
Textbook pp. 18–19 · Learning notesDispersal spreads fruits or seeds away from the parent plant. This reduces overcrowding and competition for light, water, mineral salts and space. Look for a structure that helps a seed travel.
Seed germination
Textbook pp. 20–21 · Learning notesA seed needs sufficient water, oxygen and a suitable temperature to germinate. Light and soil are not requirements for germination. A root emerges before the leaves. Stored nutrients in seed leaves support early growth; when true leaves appear, the young plant can begin making food.
Reproduction by spores
Textbook p. 21 · Learning notesFerns and mosses reproduce by spores. Spores are different from seeds. In a fern, spore bags occur on the underside of fronds. Mosses produce spores in capsules. When mature spore bags or capsules open, spores are released and can be carried by wind or water. In favourable conditions they can develop into new plants.
Plants and humans
Textbook p. 22 · Learning notesHuman and flowering-plant sexual reproduction both involve the fusion of a male reproductive cell with a female reproductive cell. Their structures and the ways the cells meet are different.
| Idea | Humans | Flowering plants |
|---|---|---|
| Male reproductive cells | Sperm produced by testes | Contained in pollen grains in anthers |
| Female reproductive cells | Eggs produced by ovaries | Egg cells inside ovules in the ovary |
| Fusion of cells | Fertilisation | Fertilisation |
| Special plant process | No pollination | Pollination transfers pollen to the stigma |
| Development | Embryo and foetus develop in womb | Fertilised ovules develop into seeds |
Use what you know
Answer these checks, adapted from the chapter's assessment ideas. A correct answer shows the reasoning. You can retry any question.
Textbook pp. 23–27 · Adapted practiceBuild a flowering plant's life cycle
Textbook pp. 14, 28–29 · Consolidation activityStart with a seed. Choose the next event or stage, one at a time. Roots and a shoot emerge during germination; the young plant grows into an adult with flowers. Follow the cycle all the way to seed dispersal.