Plants grow to reproduce. To do this, they develop flowers which can be pollinated by insects; these then turn into seeds which continue the lifecycle and the process repeats itself.
Seeds are dispersed through wind, water or animals to places where they can germinate. Once this occurs, their embryo begins growing roots and stems while also producing energy through photosynthesis.
Seeds
Seeds are the starting point of most plant lifecycles; these miniaturized baby plant babies contain an embryo (a tiny root and stem with food stored inside) as well as food stored in an outer protective shell called the seed coat.
Germination occurs when conditions are just right for seed growth to start; it requires water, oxygen and temperature conditions that support its germination process. Although each species’ process for germinating seeds differs, generally the outer coating absorbs water through its pores which then causes cells within to expand by imbibition, thus breaking down its protective coating while simultaneously stimulating embryo development.
As an embryo develops, its demands increase for food stored within its cotyledons (seed leaves). When there is enough energy available, the seed begins to produce roots below ground and long stems above it; its roots anchoring itself into the soil while its stems reach for sunlight.
Once a plant has reached maturity, it produces flowers and then fruit with seeds contained within. These seeds can then be dispersed into their environment by birds, animals or waterways; some plants even produce specially designed fruits – for instance the dandelion has feathery parachutes attached to its seeds so that they may float effortlessly through the air.
Once a seed has been dispersed, its chances of growing into a fully mature plant are slim. To increase these odds, it must find rich, damp soil to germinate in. Luckily, most seeds contain natural mechanisms that assist them in finding their optimal growing location.
Your students can act out the life cycle of a plant by interlocking their fingers and then swaying back and forth, simulating that they’re producing a juicy tomato and telling them it for some reason ended up on the ground, rather than being eaten by birds or carried off by the wind.
Seedlings
All living things, including plants, follow a specific lifecycle. This means they begin as seeds, sprout into seedlings and develop into mature plants with flowers and seeds to reproduce further down the line. Plants follow this cycle because it allows them to keep expanding and multiplying their species.
Germination is the first stage in any plant’s lifecycle, whereby buried seeds require water, oxygen and warmth in order to germinate and begin growing. When all three conditions have been satisfied, the seeds will expand or swell, crack open and begin producing roots and shoots that provide essential nutrition to continue their journey toward maturing into mature plants – known as seedlings at this stage.
As seedlings get bigger, they must begin producing their own food through photosynthesis – using sunlight and carbon dioxide from the environment to make energy to produce fuel that will enable more flowers and eventual seeds.
Once a seedling grows into a mature plant, its primary focus will shift away from food production and toward flower production. Flowers produce seeds for pollination – another process by which more food is created through pollen production by male parts called stamens and pistils of flowers – this then has to reach their female parts (pistil and pistil respectively) so as to produce seeds; birds, bees or wind may help deliver it!
Once produced, seeds must be dispersed across the landscape for them to survive. Dandelion plants have evolved ways of doing this with little hooks attached that catch onto passing animals’ fur or feathers; while other plants like ferns and mosses produce cells similar to seeds called “spores,” which can then be dispersed via wind currents or animals to other areas where they will eventually take root and sprout into new plants.
Flowers
Flowers play an invaluable role in plant kingdom. Flowers serve as a medium for reproduction by spreading seeds across their path; additionally they serve as sources of nutrition and provide anchorage in soil environments.
Flowering plants, also known as angiosperms, produce seeds that become fruitful as the fruits grow into new plants and spread across their respective environments. Such angiosperms include most fruit trees, berries, vegetables and wildflowers while some may reproduce by means other than seeds such as spores.
Pollination is the initial step in the lifecycle of flowers. This occurs when male reproductive parts called stamens mate with female reproductive parts called stigmas, or stigmas. When insects suck on sweet-scented nectar from flowers, pollen grains travel up their bodies to the stigmas. As they do so, pollen grains move down style of flower into its ovary where male sperm cells combine with female gametes (containing half of normal chromosome count for that plant) to form fertilised eggs which then become seeds before growing into pod or fruit to protect them.
Each seed contains an embryo with root, stem and leaf parts to prepare it to become an independent plant in its own right when conditions are ideal. Once fertilised, these seeds develop into seedpods which are dispersed away from their parent plant to continue reproduction cycle.
There are various species of flowers, each boasting unique colours and scents to attract insects to them. Flowers with brightly-coloured petals and sweet-scented fragrances attract insects, while wind-pollinated blooms typically have dull or green colors so that pollen can easily be collected by wind currents.
This book from Nature Study Made Easy series takes children aged 7 to 9 on an exciting journey through the various life stages that all plants and animals go through: birth, growth, adulthood, death and rebirth. With easy-to-read text, colorful photographs and lots of facts presented in an engaging format – children will learn all there is to know about nature study!
Fruits
Once a plant reaches maturity, its seeds become fruits that serve the purpose of propagating its own reproduction and spreading its seeds. Fruits also tend to be juicy and delicious! The reproductive part of a flower called the gynoecium produces these juicy morsels while other floral parts such as petals, sepals and stamens serve to shield this reproductive structure from outside forces and keep its reproductive system safe from contamination.
Inside of a gynoecium is one or more ovaries, where fertilization occurs. To do this, male flower parts (stamens) produce pollen that travels to female parts (pistil) where it combines with an egg cell to form seeds – this process is known as double fertilization. Once fertilized ovules become seeds and fruit develops around them.
As fruit develops, it forms a protective covering called the carpel to keep ovules safe until they’re ready to become seeds. For pollen to reach them though, petals, sepals and stamens must die off; this is why many plants feature brightly-colored flowers as a draw for animals that will eat them and disseminate their seeds further.
There are various varieties of fruits available today, from berries and citrus fruits to stone fruits. Each variety develops differently, depending on how their flower and gynoecium form; some fruit varieties are dry and crunchy while others are juicy and soft.
Lifecycle of a plant: an everlasting process