Suggested study questions

The gamete-producing plant (gametophyte)

1. Is the moss gamete plant diploid (one set of chromosomes/cell) or haploid (two sets of chromosomes/cell)?

2. Name the various parts of a moss gamete plant. Can you give the functions of each?

3 Why are most mosses very small? For example, how is water obtained, and transported and how is its loss from surfaces reduced? How is the "stem" supported?

4. Where would you look in order to find reproductive structures containing eggs and those containing sperm?

5. How would you distinguish a male from a female reproductive structure in a moss gamete plant?

Fertilisation

6. Can you describe what a moss sperm looks like and how it moves? In what ways does it resemble animal sperm?

7. Moss sperm can swim only a short distance, yet often reach female plants some distance away. Can you explain how this is accomplished?

8. Once at the tip of a female plant, how do the sperm locate the female reproductive structure and the egg?

9. Sperm and eggs are produced by reduction division (meiosis) in animals. Is this the case in mosses? Can you explain your answer? Clue: The cells of a moss gamete plant contain one set of chromosomes.

10. Does the moss embryo remain inside the female reproductive structure? Explain.

11. Describe the growth and appearance of the moss embryo.

12. What is the source of nourishment for the developing moss embryo?

The spore-producing plant (sporophyte)

13. Where would you look in order to find a moss spore plant (sporophyte)? How does its appearance differ from that of the gamete plant (gametophyte) ?

14. What is the capsule? What type of cell division do the fertile cells of the capsule undergo in order to form spores?

15. What is a spore? How are spores released from the capsule?

16. How are spores dispersed to new locations?

-The new gamete-producing plant (gametophyte) - 

17. If a spore lands on a moist surface, it germinates. What is meant by "germination"?

18. Can you describe changes that a young moss gamete plant undergoes to reach its final, mature form?

Overview questions 

19. Mosses have two plant forms. Can you compare and contrast these in terms of the following characteristics? 
a. Plant size and complexity 
b. One or two sets of chromosomes per cell 
c. type of reproductive cell that is released

20. The mosses are adapted to a life on land. Can you comment upon how successful this adaptation is, e.g. what are some of the strengths and what are some of the weaknesses of this reproductive cycle?

The spore-producing plant (sporophyte) 

1. Can you describe the appearance and the parts of a fern spore plant (sporophyte)?

2. Where would you expect to find the spore cases (sporangia) in a fern? Can you describe the structure of a spore case?

3. Some ferns have a way of covering their spore cases (sporangia). Can you explain how this is done? What advantage would this have?

4. Can you describe how the fertile cells within a spore case (sporangium) give rise to spores?

5. Can you explain the following observation? "The cells of a fern spore plant (sporophyte) have two sets of chromosomes but those of the spores that it produces have but one set of chromosomes"

6. What is a spore? Can you describe its wall and contents?

Spore release 

7. Can you describe the structure of the band of cells (annulus) that encircles the fern spore case (sporangium)? What is its function?

8. Describe the changes that take place in the band of cells (annulus) that encircle the spore case (sporangium) as it dries out.

9. Why does the band of cells (annulus) rip open the spore case (sporangium) as it dries out?

10. Spores are ejected from a spore case (sporangium) with great force. Can you explain how this is accomplished?

The gamete-producing plant (gametophyte) 

11. What is the major importance of the spore in the fern life cycle? Clue: sperm can only move in a liquid and for a short distance.

12. Can you describe what changes take place during the germination of a fern spore? Describe the size and appearance of the fern gametophyte.

13. Can you think of good locations for where you would most likely find fern gamete plants in the wild?

14. Where are the reproductive organs located on the gametophyte? What advantage does this position have?

15. How would you distinguish male from female reproductive organs in a fern gametophyte?

Fertilisation 

16. What is the structure of the fern sperm cell? How does it move about in search of an egg?

17. How does the female reproductive structure (archegonium) attract sperm?

18. What advantage is there in having the fern gamete plant (gametophyte) flat and close to the moist soil surface?

19. Fern gamete plants (gametophytes) are often bisexual and self fertilisation could easily occur. Is this beneficial to the plant or not? Explain.

20. How do some ferns discourage self-fertilisation?

21. How many sets of chromosomes are there in the sperm and egg cells? How many are there in the fertilised egg (zygote) cell?

The embryo and the new spore-producing plant (sporophyte) 
22. Is the fertilised egg released from the female reproductive structure (archegonium)? Where does the young embryo develop and what is its source of nourishment?

23. Where would you look in order to find a young, emerging, fern plant?

Overview Questions 

24. Ferns have two plant forms. Can you compare and contrast these as follows? 
a. Plant size and complexity 
b. One or two sets of chromosomes per cell 
c. type of reproductive cell that is released

25. The ferns are adapted to a life on land. Can you comment upon how successful this adaptation is, eg, what are some of the strengths and what are some of the weaknesses of this reproductive cycle?

The pollen cone

1. What does a pollen cone consist of? Can you describe its parts?

2. Can you describe how spores are formed?

3. Can you explain meiosis?

4. What differences are there between a spore cell and a pollen grain?

5. Where would you look in order to find the male tissue (male gametophyte) in pine? What does it consist of?

The ovule cone and pollination 

6. Describe how the young ovule cone is organised. Be sure to give the location of the ovules.

7. Can you describe the various parts of a young pine ovule?

8. How does pollen gain entry to the pollen cone?

9. What changes take place in the cone structure after pollination takes place?

10. How does the ovule function in the capture of pollen grains?

11. What is the final position of the pollen grain after its capture?

-The male and female tissue (gametophytes)- 

12. Can you explain how the male cells (gametophyte) inside the pollen grain are carried from the surface of the spore case (sporangium) to the female (gametophyte) located inside?

13. Where would you look to find the female tissue (gametophyte) in pine? Can you describe what it consists of ?

14. Describe the appearance of the female reproductive structure (archegonium) in pine.

15. How many reproductive structures can the female tissue (gametophyte) form and where are the located?

Fertilisation

16. Explain the path the pollen tube takes to release the sperm cells into the egg.

17. There are several reproductive structures (archegonia) in the pine female (female gametophyte). Can more than one be fertilised? Explain.

18. How many sets of chromosomes are present in the fertilised egg? Can you explain where they came from?

The embryo 

19. What advantages are there in having the ovule containing the fertilised egg (zygote) kept inside the cone instead of being released?

20. Can you explain how several embryos can form from a single fertilised egg (zygote)? Do they ALL survive?

21. The fertilised egg is inside the female reproductive structure (archegonium), yet the embryos come to lie within the female tissue (gametophyte). Can you explain how this occurs ?

22. What is the source of nourishment for the developing pine embryos? Can you explain why only one embryo usually reaches maturity while the others degenerate?

23. If you cut open a pine seed, could you name all the parts starting from the outside? Can you give the function of each part?

24. When you eat pine 'nuts' (the shelled pine seed), what exactly is it that you are consuming?

Seed germination 

25. What is the function of the female tissue (gametophyte) when the seed germinates?

26. The root emerges from the seed first. Why is this so important?

27. Can you explain why the seed is lifted out of the soil during germination?

28. What happens to the seed leaves when the pine seed is lifted out of the soil? What function do they then perform?

Overview Question 

29. With minimal requirements for water, reproduction in pine is well suited to the terrestrial environment. Can you support this statement with relation to: 
a. spore germination 
b. male and female tissue development 
c. fertilisation 
d. embryo formation 
e. the seed and seed germination

The stamen 

1. Can you describe the number and arrangement of spore sacs (microsporangia) inside a typical anther?

2. The fertile tissue of the young anther contains two sets of chromosomes but produces spore cells with but one set of chromosomes. Can you explain this?

3. What changes take place as a spore (microspore) develops into a pollen grain?

4. Can you explain how an anther opens?

The ovary 

5. What is a carpel? What are its parts?

6. What is an ovule? Where is it located and what is its structure in the young ovary ?

7. A young ovule contains a single fertile cell (sporocyte). What does it develop into?

8. Explain how a spore (megaspore) inside the ovule gives rise to the female tissue (embryo sac).
 

Pollination and fertilisation

9. Can you explain what happens when a pollen grain lands on the stigma?

10. When the pollen tube emerges from the pollen grain, what cells are transported inside it? What path does it take to reach the ovules?

11. Can you describe the events that take place inside the pollen tube as it grows toward the ovules?

12. When the pollen tube reaches an ovule, can you describe the path it takes to reach the female tissue inside?

13. What is meant by double fertilisation? Do both fertilised cells contain the same number of chromosome pairs?

Embryo formation 

14. What is the endosperm? What gives rise to it?

15 . How does the young embryo become moved into the center of the endosperm tissue? What advantage does this have for its development?

16. What are the parts of the mature embryo in the seed?

17. Where are nutrients stored in the seeds of various types of flowering plants?

18. What changes take place in the jacket cells of the ovule as it becomes transformed into the seed?

19. What changes take place in the carpel as the ovule develops into the seed?

Overview questions

20. There has been a reduction in size and complexity of the male and female tissues (gametophytes) and reproductive organs in the flower life cycle. Explain the adaptive significance of this statement..

21. Can you explain the importance of the carpel to the reproductive cycle in the flower?

22. Can you compare the ways in which pollen grains/pollen tubes come into contact with the ovule in pine and the ovule of the flower?