Class VII

Subject: Science

Title of the book: Science Textbook for Class VII

Chapter 12: Reproduction in Plants

General Instructions:

1. Question –Answers to be done in the Science Classwork Notebook.

2. You can refer to YouTube link for online tutorial:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=idCPXlNpwvY

Introduction:

The most important characteristic of living organisms is their ability to produce more members
of their kind. The production of new individuals from their parents is known as reproduction.

Explanation

Modes of Reproduction

Most plants have roots, stems and leaves. These are called the vegetative parts of a plant and
flower is the reproductive part of the plant. Method of reproduction in plants can be divided into
two types: asexual reproduction and sexual reproduction. In asexual reproduction plants can give
rise to new plants without seeds , whereas in sexual reproduction , new plants are obtained from
seeds.

Asexual Reproduction

The new plant obtained by asexual reproduction methods are exactly identical to the parent
plants. The asexual methods in plants can take place by the following methods:

i)Vegetative propagation – Since reproduction is through vegetative parts of the plant , it is

known as vegetative propagation.
Vegetative propagation by stems

Rose plants are propagated (or reproduced) by the means of cuttings from the stems (or
branches) as follows: A piece of branch with a node (where a leaf is attached) is cut from an
existing rose plant with a help of a knife. This piece of branch is the rose cutting .It has a bud in
the axil . The lower part of the cutting is buried in moist soil. The upper part of cutting having
the node or bud is kept above the ground. Water the planted cutting everyday. After a few days,
the end of cutting buried in the soil develops roots. The bud develops into a shoot. In this way,
the branch cutting of a rose plant grows to become a new rose plant. Money plant can also be
grown by the cuttings method of vegetative propagation.

An advantage of the cuttings method is that by using this method we can produce many new
plants from just one plant quickly, without waiting for flowers and seeds.

A potato has many buds called eyes on its body which appear like scars. Cut a few pieces of
potato , each with an eye and bury them in the soil. Water the pieces regularly and each piece
will grow into a new potato plant. Ginger and turmeric can also be grown in the similar way.

Potato plant sprouting from an ‘eye’

 Ginger with new plants sprouting from it

Vegetative propagation by leaves

Bryophyllum has buds in the margins of the leaves. If a leaf of this plant falls on a moist soil,
each bud can give rise to a new plant.

Leaf of bryophyllum with buds in the margin

Vegetative propagation by roots

The roots of plants like sweet potato and dahlia can also give rise to new plants.

Asexual reproduction in cactus

The plants like cacti produce new plants when their parts get detached from the main body and
fall on the ground. Each detached part grows into a new plant.
Advantages of Vegetative propagation of plants

1. Plants produced by Vegetative propagation takes less time to grow and bear flowers and fruits
earlier than those produced from seeds.
2. The new plants are exact copies of the parent plant.

ii) Budding
The small bulb –like projection coming out from the yeast cell is called a bud. The bud
gradually grows and gets detached from the parent cell and forms a new yeast cell. The new
yeast cell grows , matures and produces more yeast cells. If this process continues, a large
number of yeast cells are produced in a short time.

Reproduction in yeast by budding

iii) Fragmentation

It is a type of asexual reproduction in which an individual develops from the fragments formed
in the parent individual. The parent individual breaks into fragments which start their
individual lives. Spirogyra and alga reproduces by this method.

iv) Spore formation

Some plants reproduce asexually by producing spores. Spores are tiny cells covered by a hard-
protective coat to withstand unfavourable conditions like high temperature and low humidity.
 During favourable conditions the spore germinates and develops into a new individual. Moss
and Ferns reproduce by spore formation.

Sexual Reproduction

Sexual Reproduction involves the fusion of male and female gametes. Flower is the reproductive
part of a plant. The flowers which contain either only the pistil or only the stamens are called
unisexual flowers. The flowers which contain both stamens and pistil are called bisexual flowers.
Example corn is unisexual flower whereas rose is bisexual flower.

Both the male and the female unisexual flowers may be present in the same plant or in the
different plants.
Anther contains pollen grains which produce male gametes. A pistil consists of stigma ,style and
ovary. The ovary contains one or more ovules. The female gamete or the egg is formed in an
ovule. In sexual reproduction a male and a female gamete fuse to form a zygote.

Pollination

The transfer of pollen grains from a mature anther to the stigma of the flower.

Self-Pollination: It occurs within the same flower or between two flowers of the same plant.
Flowers do not depend on other agencies for pollination.

Cross Pollination: It occurs between two flowers born on different plants of the same species.
Agents such as insect, water and wind are required for ensuring such pollination
Fertilisation

The fusion of male and female gamete is called fertilisation. The zygote develops into an
embryo.

Fruits and Seed Formation

The ovules present in the ovary get fertilized by pollen grains and grow to become seeds. The
ovary develops into a fruit.

Fertilisation

Seed Dispersal

Dispersal of seeds means to scatter seeds over a wide area. In nature same kind of plants grow at
different places. This happens because seeds are dispersed to different places.

The dispersal of seeds may occur in various ways as follows.

i)Wind: Wing like structures in seeds or hair or if they are small and light, help in dispersal
of fruits and seeds over the wind.

E.g. sunflower and aak.

ii) Water: The fruit along with the seed in it drops into water sources like seas and rivers and
gets carried along by the current. The seeds and fruits which are dispersed by water develop
floating ability in the form of spongy or fibrous outer coats. E.g.coconut

iii) Animals: This is the most common mode of dispersal of fruits and seeds. Sticky fruits
with hooks or small spines get attached to the body of grazing animals and get carried away
with them. In this way, they get dispersed to far off places. E.g. Xanthium

iv) Bursting: In this process, the ripened fruits burst open to spread seeds.e.g.: Castor or
Balsam
Xanthium
MIND MAP

Questions and Answers

Q1. Describe the different methods of asexual reproduction. Give examples.

A1. The different method of asexual reproduction are as follows:

(a) Vegetative Propagation: It is a type of reproduction in which the vegetative parts like
the root, stem, leaves and bud develop into new plants. It can be natural as well as
artificial. The eyes of potato, ginger and turmeric develop a new plant by natural
vegetative propagation. Stem cutting of the rose plant is artificial vegetative propagation.
(b) Budding: It is the formation of a complete individual from a small bud like projection
called a bud. The bud detaches from the parent individual. Yeast, a single cell organism
reproduce by budding. It forms small buds that grow, mature and produce more yeast
cells. The multicellular hydra also reproduces by budding.
(c) Fragmentation: It is a type of asexual reproduction in which an individual develops
from the fragments formed in the parent individual. The parent individual breaks into
fragments which start their individual lives. Spirogyra reproduces by this method.
(d) Spore formation: Some plants reproduce asexually by producing spores. Spores are tiny
cells covered by a hard-protective coat to withstand unfavourable conditions like high
temperature and low humidity. During favourable conditions the spore germinates and
develops into a new individual. Moss and Ferns reproduce by spore formation.
Q2. Explain what do you understand by sexual reproduction.

A2. In sexual reproduction, two gametes or cells from the same parent or different parents,
fuse to form a new individual. For example, the flower is the reproductive part of a plant. The
stamens are the male reproductive part. Flower reproduces to produce seeds that germinate to
form a new plant.

Q3. State the main difference between sexual and asexual reproduction.

A3. The main difference in asexual and sexual reproduction is that asexual reproduction
involves only one cell. The body of the parent may act as the reproductive part. Only mitotic
division takes place. There is no formation of sex organs.

In sexual reproduction, two gametes or cells either from the same parent or different fuse to
form a new individual. Meiosis and fertilization are the essential events for the formation of
sex organs.

Q4. Explain the difference between self and cross pollination.

A4. Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from a mature anther to the stigma of the
flower.

Self-Pollination: It occurs within the same flower or between two flowers of the same plant.
Flowers do not depend on other agencies for pollination.

Cross Pollination: It occurs between two flowers born on different plants of the same
species. Agents such as insect, water and wind are required for ensuring such pollination.

Q5. How does the process of fertilization take place?

A5. (i) Fertilization occurs in the flower as it is the reproductive part of the plant. An egg cell
or female gamete is present in the ovule.

(ii) Pollen grains bear the male gamete. When pollen grains reach the stigma of a flower, it
germinates to give out a pollen tube.

(iii) The pollen tube grows to reach the ovary and the ovule. When the pollen tube reach the
ovule, it pushes the female male gametes into the egg cells.

(iv) Here the fusion of male and female gamete occurs. This is called fertilization.

(v) The ovules present in the ovary get fertilized by pollen grains and grow to become seeds.
The ovary develops into a fruit.
Q6. Describe the various ways by which seeds are dispersed.

A6. The dispersal of seeds may occur in various ways as follows.

i)Wind: Wing like structures help in dispersal of fruits and seeds over the wind.

E.g. sunflower and aak.

ii) Water: The fruit along with the seed in it drops into water sources like seas and rivers and
gets carried along by current. E.g.coconut

iii) Animals: This is the most common mode of dispersal of fruits and seeds. Sticky fruits
with hooks or small spines get attached to the body of grazing animals and get carried away
with them. In this way, they get dispersed to far off places. E.g. Xanthium

iv) Bursting: In this process, the ripened fruits burst open to spread seeds.e.g.: Castor or
Balsam