Plants can reproduce either sexually or asexually (vegetative propagation) – with many plants relying on a combination of both methods to produce offspring

• In flowering plants (angiosperms), sexual reproduction involves the use of specialised organs called flowers
  

• The reproductive cycle of flowering plants involves three stages – gamete production, transfer and fertilisation

1. Gamete Production

The production of gametes in flowering plants involves two critical phases – sporogenesis and gametogenesis

• Sporogenesis is the process of producing haploid spores via meiosis – males produce microspores, while females produce megaspores
  

• Gametogenesis involves the differentiate of the undeveloped spores into mature gametes – either sperm (males) or ova (females)
  

2. Pollination

The transfer of the male gamete (stored in pollen) to the female reproductive centre (ovule) is called pollination

• To support the survival of the gamete during pollen transfer, pollen grains typically enter a metabolically inactive state upon dispersal
  

• Exposure to environmental conditions (heat, drought, cold, humidity) causes the pollen grains to lose water and enter a state of partial desiccation
  

• Changing climactic conditions may impact this development, threatening overall pollen production and viability
  

3. Fertilisation

Once a pollen grain has been transferred to the ovule, the sperm and egg will fuse (fertilisation) to produce a diploid zygote

• The growing embryo continues to develop within a seed casing, before eventually sprouting to produce a new plant (germination)
  

• Germination may not occur spontaneously – some seeds will remain dormant until exposed to certain external triggers
  

Sexual Reproduction In Plants