Expert Member E Germination

What is Germination?
Germination means start to grow.

Where do Plants come from?

Plants come from seeds. Each seed contains a tiny plants waiting for the right moment and condition to grow, or germinate.

What are the conditions for seed to germinate?

Seeds wait to germinate until there are three conditions which are water, correct temperature and a right location (such as soil). During the early stages of growth, the seedling depends on food supplies stored within the seed until it is large enough for its own leaves to make food by going through a process called photosynthesis. The seedling's root push down into the soil to hold the new plant and to absorb water and mineral salts from the soil. Its stem together with the leaves pushes up so that they can receive maximum amount of sunlight.

When does germination end?

The germination stage ends when a shoot emerges from the soil. However, the plant has not completed growing. It has just started. Plants need water, warmth, nutrients from the soil and light to continue growing.

Expert Member D Dispersal of seeds

Dispersal of fruits and seeds is very important because the seeds need to have favorable condition to grow into a healthy seedling. Imagine what will happen if all the seeds are planted at the same area, they will be competing for sunlight, water and nutrients which will result in poor growing condition!

There are 4 main methods of dispersal

• By animals
• By the wind
• Self dispersal
• By water

Animal Dispersal:

Animals can disperse seeds in two main ways:

1. Fruits and seeds can get stuck in animal body, furs, feathers or claws and it will be disperse as the animals move around. Fruits and seeds that disperse seeds this way usually have some sort of hook structure so that they can attach themselves to the animal body easily.

2. Another method is by ingestion fruits. Afterwards, the seeds which can’t be digested will be a passed out as faeces. This is the reason why plants produce fruits. It is because the fruits are intended to attract animals by eating and later help disperse their seeds through passing them out. This is also why fruits are often bright in colours.

Wind Dispersal:

The kind of seed which can be dispersed by wind are smaller seeds that have wings or other hair-like or feather-like structures. Plants that produce wind blown seeds, like the dandelion produce lots of seeds to ensure that some of the seeds are blown to areas where the seeds can grow.

Water Dispersal:

Plants living along streams, rivers and seas have seeds that float downstream and therefore become germinate at new sites. The size of the seed is not a factor in determining whether or not a seed can float. Some very large seeds, like coconuts, can float. Some small seeds also float.

Self dispersal:
Some plants do not reply on other helps but instead, they "shoot" seeds out of pods to help disperse the seeds around. The seeds can travel quite a few feet from the plant through this method.

Expert Member C Formation of fruits and seeds

The formation of fruits and seeds take place after a flower is successfully fertilized! There are 4 stages involved in the formation of fruits and seeds.

1. A flower is first fertilized to begin the first stage.
2. The petals and stamens will wither and fall off.
3. The ovary will then begin to grow and form into a fruit.
4. The fruit, the fertilized ovules start to form the seeds.
   
   
   
   

Pericarp is the part of the fruit which develops from the ovary wall. The inner layer of the pericarp, called the endocarp, develops from the inner epidermis of the ovary wall. The middle layer of the pericarp is called the mesocarp and develops from the middle layer of cells of the ovary wall. The outer layer of the pericarp is known as the exocarp and develops from the outer epidermis of the ovary wall.









Above is the picture of the cross-section of a seed.

Fruit development in Apple
This is an example of the formation of fruits in an apple flower. The petals have been lost and the stigmas are withering. The stamens will soon die as well.

The apple has an ovary which is below the attachment of the other floral parts.

The parts of the flower surrounding the ovary is called the floral tube and forms a large part of the mature fruit which develops out of it.

Expert Member B Fertilization

When ripe pollen from anther(male organ) of the same kind of flower catches on the stigma(female organ), each pollen grain sends out a tiny threadlike tube. The tube grows down through the style and pierces on one of the ovules in the ovary.

Each ovule must receive the contents of the pollen tube before it can develop into a seed.

How long?
It usually take the tube around 2 to 5 days to reach the ovule, but the time may very from few hours to six months.

Expert Member Group A - Pollination

Pollination Pollination is very important as it leads to the creation of new seeds that grow into new plants.

How it works?

Pollination begins in the flower. Anthers(Male Part) of the flower produce a sticky powder called pollen. Female part is called stigma. Seeds are made in the ovule.
To be pollinated, pollen must be moved from a anther to the stigma. When pollen from a plant's anther is transferred to the plant's stigma, it is called pollination. It starts the reproduction of seeds.

Done by :
Expert members A

Life Cycle of Flowering Plants

Dear students,

Today, we will be learning about the different processes involve in a life cycle of a flowering plant. At the end of this lesson, you should be able to construct a concept map (life cycle of a flowering plant) and post it to the blog.

Instruction :

Part 1 (5 minutes)

•Get into groups of 5
•Each group member is to be represented by the letter A, B, C, D or E.

Part 2 (15 minutes)
Each group member is to conduct individual research on the assigned task

Member A : Pollination



Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RuYrFwDuYn0
Website - http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/pollination.html

Member B : Fertilization
Video - http://www.bbc.co.uk/mediaselector/check/wales/eclips/media/video/eng_11to14_bio_greenplants_fertilization?size=4x3&bgc=C0C0C0&nbram=1&bbram=1&nbwm=1&bbwm=1
Website - http://kids.britannica.com/comptons/article-200875/flower

Member C : Formation of fruits and seeds



Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bwCpQflmQG4
Website - http://www.botany.uwc.ac.za/ecotree/fruit/fruitseedswin.htm

Member D : Dispersal of seeds

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jCOaFP9BMXg
Website - http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/seed.html

Member E : Germination

Video - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rDN0yAFcQok
Website - http://www.mbgnet.net/bioplants/grow.html

Note: Do take down necessary information gathered based on your research that is essential for discussions.

Part 3 (15 minutes)

Get into your expert groups (Members A should come together, members B should come together, etc...) to discuss on your findings and post relevant materials into the blog. You may post relevant pictures if you want to.
Guiding question during discussions:

1. What is the process about?


2. What are the parts that are involve in the process?


3. How long does the process take before moving on to the next process?


4. Do non-flowering plants undergo the same process?
   

Part 4 (15 minutes)

After posting, return to your home group (A-B-C-D-E) Share the process you are assigned to with your members.

Part 5 (15 minutes)

Construct a concept map based on what you have learnt, using Cmap programme and post it to the blog. Your concept map should cover all the five processes involve in the life cyle of a flowering plant.