--- title: "Plant Reproduction" description: "Describe the structure of a flower and explain the processes of wind and insect pollination, fertilisation, seed and fruit formation, and seed dispersal in plants" canonical: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/plant-reproduction-mt_ck57CDFGet source: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/plant-reproduction-mt_ck57CDFGet.md retrieved: 2026-11-12 --- > **Agent view.** This is the Markdown twin of the page, for tools and assistants. > When to use this site, and the call that answers each job: https://lightmysky.com/agent-instructions.md > API description (OpenAPI 3.1): https://lightmysky.com/openapi.json · Authentication: https://lightmysky.com/auth.md > Pricing: https://lightmysky.com/pricing.md · Catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms.txt · Full catalog: https://lightmysky.com/llms-full.txt > Every machine-readable file on this domain: https://lightmysky.com/.well-known/ai-catalog.json > Ask for Markdown with `Accept: text/markdown`, a `.md` address, or `?mode=agent`. # Plant Reproduction Describe the structure of a flower and explain the processes of wind and insect pollination, fertilisation, seed and fruit formation, and seed dispersal in plants Subject: Science · Area: Organisms & Life Processes · Ages 12 to 13 Page: https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/plant-reproduction-mt_ck57CDFGet ## Ready when they can - Identifies the anther as the pollen-producing part, the sepal as the bud-protecting part, and the carpel as a female reproductive part - Compares wind-pollinated and insect-pollinated flowers and explains adaptations of each - Traces the journey from pollination to seed dispersal - Identifies and explains at least two methods of seed dispersal ## Lesson: How flowers make seeds You have learned how pollination can lead to seeds. A complete flower has sepals, petals, stamens and one or more carpels. Sepals protect the unopened bud. Petals often attract insects. A stamen is a male reproductive part. It has a filament supporting an anther, where pollen is made. Some flowers lack one or more of these groups of parts. *(drawing: These stages can follow this order. Pollen arriving does not guarantee that every later stage will happen.)* A carpel is a female reproductive part. Its stigma receives pollen. Its style leads to an ovary that holds one or more ovules. Each ovule contains an egg cell. A flower may have one carpel or several. Pollination transfers pollen from an anther to a stigma. This can happen within one flower or between flowers of the same species. Compatible pollen can grow a tube through the style to an ovule. Sperm cells travel along the tube. During fertilisation, a sperm nucleus fuses with the egg cell's nucleus inside the ovule. A nucleus contains a cell's genetic information. Pollen arriving does not guarantee fertilisation or seed development. **Example.** Grass flowers use wind pollination. They usually have small or no petals, no nectar or scent, and lots of light pollen. Exposed anthers release pollen; feathery stigmas catch it. Many insect-pollinated flowers use colour, scent or nectar to attract visitors. Nectar is sugary food. Pollen can stick to an insect's body and reach a stigma on a later visit. These are common patterns, not features of every species. After fertilisation, an ovule can develop into a seed containing an embryo, a young plant. The ovary usually develops into a fruit around the seeds. Fruit may be dry or fleshy. Seed dispersal moves seeds away from the parent, sometimes inside a fruit. This can reduce competition for light, water and space. Dispersal does not guarantee a suitable place to grow. Wind can carry light seeds or fruits with wings or fluff. Water can carry floating fruits. Hooks on some fruits catch on animal fur, so the seeds inside travel with the animal. Animals may also eat fruit and later pass undigested seeds in droppings. Some dry pods burst and scatter seeds. Match the moving seed or fruit to the feature that helps it travel. **Recap.** Pollination transfers pollen to a stigma. Fertilisation joins sperm and egg nuclei. Ovules can become seeds, the ovary usually becomes fruit, and dispersal moves seeds away. *The flower reproduction lesson, question repairs and revised flashcards were written for this dataset. Textbook records were consulted for scientific facts, without adapting their wording.* ## Practice 8 questions on this page, each with its working shown. ## Needs first - [Pollination & Seed Dispersal](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/pollination-and-seed-dispersal-mt_WNBHZ1d94L) - [Plant & animal reproduction](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/plant-and-animal-reproduction-mt_yNWt3GQBNp) ## Opens up - [Land Plants: Vascular Tissue and a Life Cycle That Alternates](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/land-plants-vascular-tissue-and-a-life-cycle-that-alternates-mt_DFtQ2mCZSm) - [Plant growth responses: tropisms and the hormones behind them](https://lightmysky.com/learn/science/plant-growth-responses-tropisms-and-the-hormones-behind-them-mt_q1N7OG2_6j)