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Biology

One winter morning, Shweta and her mother were sitting in their garden when they noticed fresh pea flowers blooming. Over the next few days, they watched some of these flowers slowly develop into tiny green pea pods. Together, they began tracking each stage of this change and observed how pollination and fertilization occur in plants. Answer the following questions:

(i) What role do insects play in the development of a flower into a fruit?

(ii) Mention the male and female gametes of the flower.

(iii) What is the function of the pollen tube during fertilization?

(iv) What happens to the ovary once fertilization is completed?

(v) Shweta's mother claimed that the pea pod is a fruit and not a vegetable. Explain.

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Answer

(i) Insects act as pollinating agents. When the insect visits a flower to collect nectar, the pollen grains stick to its mouth-parts, wings, legs, etc. When this insect visits another flower of the same kind, the pollen grains from its body may fall on its stigma and bring about fertilization. Transfer of pollen by insects is called insect-pollination.

(ii) The androecium is called the male reproductive part of the flower. The gynoecium is called the female reproductive part of the flower.

(iii) Pollen grains germinate to produce pollen tubes. One of the pollen tubes continue to develop downwards into the style. This pollen tube carries the male gametes. The pollen tube finally reaches the ovary.

(iv) The ovary after fertilization becomes larger and develops into a fruit. The ovule containing the fertilized cell develops into a seed.

(v) A pea pod is a fruit because it develops from the ovary of the flower after fertilization and contains seeds.

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