The City School

Worksheet Number: 2.1.1 Science

Topic: Plant Biology
Name: _______________________________________ Sec: ___________

By attempting this worksheet, learners will be able to:

2.1.1 Describe different types of reproduction in plants.

Write the keywords from the box next to the correct definition.

asexual reproduction cutting fertilization gamete pollen

runners sexual reproduction

Definition Key Word Definition Key Word

Reproduction involving only one parent that produces genetically
identical offspring (clones).
The fusion of male and female gametes.
A piece of plant that is cut from a parent plant and then made to form
roots and shoots by putting it in favourable conditions.
Reproduction in which male and female gametes fuse at fertilisation
to produce offspring that are genetically different to the parents.

A male or female sex cell.

Side branches of a plant that have plantlets on them that
can grow into a new plant. Some plants reproduce asexually by
producing these.
The male plant gamete.
2. Which of the following descriptions of asexual reproduction in plants is false?
 Only one parent plant is required
 The offspring are not genetically identical to each other
 Fertilisation does not occur during the process
3.Complete the following table comparing asexual and sexual reproduction.
Sexual reproduction Asexual reproduction

No. of parents
Involvement of gametes (sex cells)
Time period
Advantage

Disadvantage
 The City School
Gardening Page Letters
Topic: Plant Biology
The magazine Gardeners’ Zone has received the following letters. Write a reply to each letter that
explains the role that pollination has in each situation.
 The City School
Science Handout Number: 2.1.2
Topic: Plant Biology
Name: _______________________________________ Sec: ___________

Learning Objective:
2.1.2 Discuss sexual reproduction in flowering plants including pollination, fertilisation, seed formation and dispersal.

Pollination
Pollination is the act of transferring pollen grains from the
male anther of a flower to the female stigma. The aim of most
living organisms, including plants, is to produce offspring for
the next generation. One of the ways that plants can produce
offspring is by making seeds. Seeds contain the nutrition and
all the genetic instructions to grow into an adult plant.
There are two types of pollination:
Self-pollination: The pollen grain lands on the same flower it
originated from. Figure 1 Flowers on the apple tree use cross-pollination
Cross-pollination: The pollen grain lands on a different flower
to the one it originated from.
As plants cannot move like animals, they must adopt a different method of transferring these pollen grains.
• Wind-pollinated plants let their pollen blow in the wind and hope that their pollen grains reach
another plant for pollination.
• Insect-pollinated plants use insects and other animals to carry their pollen grains to other plants.
The vast majority of plants depend on animals to transfer the pollen for them. 'Insect-pollinated' includes
plants which are pollinated by birds and other small animals.

Figure 2 This grass is pollinated by the wind; the flower is being pollinated by the hummingbird

Insect-pollinated flowers are different in structure from wind-pollinated flowers

Importance of insects in pollination
Many crops depend on pollination by insects to survive. Bees, butterflies, beetles, moths and flies are
all pollinators. Without them, food security would be threatened and there would be a worldwide
shortage of fruit; especially apples, plums and pears. Many plant species could also decline or
become extinct along with the organisms that directly or indirectly depend on them.
Bees are facing many threats globally. These include habitat loss, climate change, toxic pesticides and
disease. The culmination of these makes an unpredictable future for bees and many other pollinators.
 The City School
Science in Context : 2.1.2
Topic: Plant Biology
Name: _______________________________________ Sec: ___________

By attempting this worksheet, learners will be able to:

2.1.2 Discuss sexual reproduction in flowering plants including pollination, fertilisation, seed formation and dispersal.

Why Are Bees Important?

Bees play a vital role in our food system and natural environments. They are essential
for pollinating a wide range of crops that produce fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds,
fibers like cotton, and forage plants like alfalfa used to feed livestock. Without bees,
many of these plants wouldn’t produce seeds, which affects our food supply and
natural plant communities. Essentially, bees are responsible for one out of every
three bites of food we eat.
Why Are Bees Good Pollinators?
Bees are excellent pollinators because their main job involves collecting pollen, which
they use to feed their developing young. When bees land on flowers, their hairy
bodies attract pollen through electrostatic forces. They then use stiff hairs on their
legs to groom and carry the pollen back to their nests. Bees usually focus on one type
of flower at a time, which helps transfer pollen between flowers of the same species, a process known as cross-
pollination. Many plants require this to produce viable seeds. Flowers also provide nectar, a sugary reward that
gives bees the energy they need.
Where and How Do Bees Live?
Bees have diverse nesting habits. Most bees dig nests in the soil, while others use plants by boring into stems
or wood or utilizing existing cavities in trees created by beetles. Bumble bees often nest in abandoned rodent
burrows, and honey bees typically nest in tree hollows. To build their nests, bees use materials like wax, leaves,
small pebbles mixed with tree resin, or mud. These nests are where bees lay their eggs and care for their young.
Why Do Bees Need Flowers Throughout the Growing Season?
Different types of bees have varying nesting and reproductive patterns. Solitary bees produce one generation
per year and require a steady supply of flowers for pollen and nectar. Social bees, which have colonies with a
queen and many workers, produce multiple generations each year and need continuous flower resources to
maintain strong colonies. Providing plants with overlapping blooming periods ensures that bees have access to
food throughout the growing season.

Why Do Bees Need Our Help?

Bee populations are declining due to increased pesticide use, habitat loss, and
changes in land use, which have led to a shortage of food and nesting
resources. There have also been concerning reports of colony collapse
disorder, where large numbers of honey bees mysteriously disappear. To
support bees, it’s crucial to create pesticide-free habitats with abundant
nectar and pollen resources and suitable nesting sites. This will help sustain
both wild and managed bee populations and maintain their essential role in
pollination.
 The City School
Worksheet Number: 2.1.2
Topic: Plant Biology
Name: _______________________________________ Sec: ___________

By attempting this worksheet, learners will be able to:

2.1.2 Discuss sexual reproduction in flowering plants including pollination, fertilisation, seed formation and dispersal.

Decide whether each adaptation described below is a feature of an insect-pollinated flower

or a wind-pollinated flower. Write your answers in the table.
Adaptation Insect or Wind?

The stigma hangs outside of the plant and may be feathery or sticky to make it easier to
catch pollen.
The flower has bright petals with a sweet smell.

The anthers hang loosely out of the plant.

Pollen is produced in large quantities.

The flower often contains nectar which is sweet and sugary.

The flower has no petals, or the petals are dull colours such as green or brown.

The pollen grains are large and sticky.

The flower does not contain nectar.

Pollen is produced in small quantities.

The stigma is found inside the flower and is sticky.

The anthers are firm and rigid and found inside the petals.

The pollen grains are small and light.

Look at the graph given below about bee population.

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 The City School
Science Handout Number: 2.1.2.a
Topic: Plant Biology
Name: _______________________________________ Sec: ___________

Learning Objective(s):
2.1.2 Discuss sexual reproduction in flowering plants including pollination, fertilisation, seed formation and dispersal.

Seed dispersal is the transport of seeds from the plant to another area in order to grow.
These are the main ways in which seeds can be dispersed:
• Animals
• Explosion
• Wind
• Water
Seeds must be dispersed or spread away from each other and from their parent plant. This is to reduce
competition between one another and increase their chances of survival.

Dispersal method Description Example

Animal (exterior) Some plants use hooks on their fruits. These attach Cocklebur, goose grass,
themselves to the fur of mammals or feathers of birds and get burdock
carried from one place to another.
Animal (interior) Fleshy fruits are eaten by animals. The seeds are then Tomato, raspberry, grape
dispersed after passing through the digestive system of
animals that have eaten the fleshy fruits.
Animal (burial) Hard nuts are usually destroyed if chewed or eaten. However, Acorns
animals such as squirrels may store them to eat later and
forget to go back to get them, giving them a chance to
germinate.
Explosion/self- Have a pod that bursts open when ripe, throwing the seeds Peapod
propelled away
Wind Some plants have seeds that act as parachutes, which are Dandelions
carried away by the wind
Wind (spinning) Some seeds are winged. They spin like helicopters as they fall Maple fruits, sycamore
from the tree, providing a longer time for dispersal by wind.
Water Some plants grow near rivers, lakes, streams or oceans. Their Coconut, silver birch,
fruits or seeds fall from the plant and are carried away by the willow
water.
 The City School
Worksheet Number: 2.1.2.b
Topic: Plant Biology
Name: _______________________________________ Sec: ___________
In the boxes below, write down everything that you know and have found out about seed dispersal in plants. What are the different ways
seeds can be dispersed? Which plants disperse their seeds this way?
 The City School
Worksheet Number: 2.2.3
Topic: Plant Biology
Name: _______________________________________ Sec: ___________
Investigation: Growing Multiple Potato Plants from One Potato Tuber
You will need: The potato with sprouting eyes, a knife, a number of plant pots full of soil or compost, a
spoon, a sunny area where the plants and pots can be stored.
Hypothesis
A potato tuber provides food for the side buds to grow into small plants. If the tuber is cut up so that each
small plant has a piece of the tuber can each one grow into a potato plant.
Prediction
Make your own prediction using the hypothesis to help you.
Investigation
➢ Under supervision from your teacher, cut up the potato tuber so that each sprouting bud has the
same amount of tuber attached to it.
➢ Dig a hole in the soil of each pot with the spoon.
➢ Place a sprouting bud with its tuber attached into each hole.
➢ Bring soil around the tuber.
➢ Place the pots in a warm sunny position and water regularly, but avoid making the soil waterlogged.
➢ Check each pot regularly and record any growth of the sprouting bud either by measuring its height or
by taking a photograph. (You may do both if you wish.)
Examining the results
After a few weeks, set out your data and compare how each sprouting bud has changed over time.
Compare the growth of the different sprouting buds.
Recording the results:
Height (cm)
Week 1 Week 2 Week 3 Week 4
Plot number Day 3 Day 6 Day 3 Day 6 Day 3 Day 6 Day 3 Day 6

Conclusion
What do you conclude from examining all the data? How does your conclusion compare with your
prediction?
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How could you take this experiment further?
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