Many flowering plants require pollinators such as insects and birds in order to reproduce successfully. This process involves the joining of male gametes from anthers with female gametes produced in their ovaries to form seeds which will go on to create new plants.
Flowers feature glands known as nectaries to attract insect pollinators; when touched by pollinators, these nectaries release sweet nectar which lures birds and other animals toward them.
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Nectar
Flowers provide food sources for bees and butterflies alike, particularly queen bumblebees. Their nectar contains an array of beneficial nutrients like proteins and amino acids which feed these important pollinators.
Plants produce nectar through photosynthesis, an ancient yet modern process where sunlight and water combine to make sugar. The sugar then travels through its conducting tissues into various parts of a plant for use by its various organs and tissues.
Nectar is composed of various components, such as water, sugars, amino acids and phenols; its exact makeup depends on which plant produces it.
Some flowers produce both nectar for pollination purposes as well as extra-floral nectaria, or extra-floral nectaries, that produce sweet liquids that attract organisms that prey upon other animals. These extra-floral nectaria are not usually located within the flowers but instead could be present at either the base of a leaf or stem.
Pollen
Pollen is a proteinaceous material collected by bees, butterflies and other pollinators from flowers to sustain them in staying healthy and active. Bees gather pollen from various flowers as food for themselves to remain strong and resilient against environmental challenges.
Many fruits, vegetables, nuts, seeds and fiber crops depend on insects for pollination – which involves the transfer of pollen between flowers to fertilize their ovaries and produce seeds – pollination plays an essential role in plant reproduction and seed production.
Pollen grains from different plant families vary in terms of size, shape and surface characteristics that help identify them as differentiators between themselves. This allows plant identification through easy pollen classification.
Pollen is an integral component of nature and vitally essential for our own food supply and that of animals alike. An estimated one out of every three bites consumed comes from pollinated plants.
Fruits
Fruit is the seed-bearing structure produced from flowering plant ovaries when they reach maturity, and depending on their species can either be dry or fleshy in consistency.
Fruits provide food sources for insects and animals alike, while also offering essential nutrition such as Vitamin C and Potassium.
Pollinators such as insects are responsible for pollinating flowers in several ways: either self-pollination (within one flower) or cross-pollination between multiple plants (cross-pollination). Some are vegetarians who rely solely on nectar as sustenance.
Some insects consume fruits formed from flowers to nourish themselves and their young. Other insects disperse any seeds enclosed within fruits through seed dispersal – an act known as fruit dispersion.
Mangoes and guavas are two fruit species particularly well suited for this kind of seed dispersal, thanks to bats living in tropical regions that consume these fruit to distribute its seeds across new locations. Birds may also help spread these seeds.
Seeds
Many plants produce seeds, which are tiny embryos with food reserves for future growth. Their outer coating, known as the seed coat, serves to protect both their embryo and endosperm from damage and also serves to maintain moisture balance for an environment conducive to seed germination.
Fertilization is the starting point for seed development. Angiosperms undergo double fertilization which unites egg and sperm nuclei to create a zygote; then this embryonic form is covered by a seed coat made up of tissue from its mother plant.
Monocotyledon embryos typically consist of one cotyledon (seed leaf) while dicotyledons often have two. Gymnosperm embryos often have more than two cotyledons.
Once an embryo has formed, a seed requires water in order to germinate and begin its lifecycle. This process may take time and require favorable conditions; otherwise, if left in dry environments it will quickly die; in moist soil it may germinate over time into full grown plants; its fate being dictated by the nature of its seed coat.
