When a seed falls onto the ground or is planted and conditions (water, temperature, nutrients) are right, the seed will begin to put out shoots and grow. This is called germination.
Fertilization is the name for the process that happens after pollination. It can be defined as the fusion of the male gametes (pollen) with the female gametes (ovule) to form a diploid zygote.
Such flowers are pollinated by the wind. When wind shakes the flower, seeds scatter from it and grow into new plants.
A flower is a modified shoot. It has four parts:
• Petals.
• Pistils.
• Sepals.
• Stamens.
Its basic function is sexual reproduction in plants.
a. Cross pollination:
If the pollen grains of a flower fall onto the stigma of another flower, it is called cross pollination.
b. Self-pollination:
If the pollen gains of a flower fall onto the stigma of the same flower, it is called self-pollination.
The steps of fertilization are following:
1. The pollen grain lands on the stigma.
2. The pollen tube starts to grow.
3. It continues to grow downwards.
4. It reaches the ovary.
5. The pollen grain (male cell) joins the ovule (female cell).
6. Then ovule is fertilized and turns into a seed.
7. The ovary begins to change into fruit.