Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants

Sexual reproduction in flowering plants:

• Sexual reproduction is the process of the development of new organisms through the formation and fusion of gametes.
• In flowering plants, stamens are male reproductive organs while carpels are female reproductive organs.
• In angiosperms, the process of meiosis produces male and female gametes in male and female sex organs. Both gametes fuse to form a diploid zygote, which gives rise to the embryo. The process by which the embryo is formed by meiosis and fertilization is called amphimixis.
• All flowing plants show sexual reproduction. Flowers are the sites of sexual reproduction.
• C.F. Wolf is the Father of plant embryology. 
• Prof. P. Maheshwari is the Father of Indian plant Embryology. He wrote a book - 'An Introduction to Embryology of Angiosperms'.
• Sexuality in plants was first reported by Jacob Camerarius. He reported anthers are the male sex organ and the ovary with style and stigma are female sex organ, and for the formation of seed, interaction is essential between both the sex organs.
• Sexual reproduction in flowering plants can be broken down into three steps:
  (i) Pre-fertilisation events
  (ii) Double fertilisation
  (iii) Post-fertilisation events
• Pre-fertilisation events include male reproductive organ (androecium), female reproductive organ (gynoecium), pollination and fertilisation.
• Post-fertilisation events include the development of endosperms, development of the embryo (in dicot and monocot) and seed.