Question

Give scientific reasons :
(iii) Flower is structural unit of sexual reproduction in plant

Hint:

Remember: stamens = male (pollen), carpels = female (ovules); pollination + pollen tube growth + fertilization = sexual reproduction in flowers.

Answer 1

A flower is the reproductive structure of angiosperms that houses the organs required for sexual reproduction. The stamens (androecium) produce male gametes within pollen grains formed by microsporogenesis, and the carpels/pistils (gynoecium) contain ovules where female gametes (egg cells) form by megasporogenesis. Pollination transfers pollen to the stigma, followed by pollen germination and growth of the pollen tube through the style to deliver sperm cells to the ovule. Double fertilization occurs when one sperm fuses with the egg cell to form a zygote and the other fuses with the polar nuclei to form endosperm, ensuring embryo nourishment. Flowers also possess structural adaptations (petals, nectar, scent, floral symmetry) and mechanisms (self-compatibility, cross-pollination agents) that promote effective gamete transfer and genetic recombination. Because flowers contain the organs that produce gametes, enable their transfer, and permit fertilization and seed formation, a flower is correctly described as the structural unit of sexual reproduction in flowering plants.