Pollination Power
Name two ways pollen can travel from one flower to another.
Wind, water, insects, birds, or animals.
Where does fertilization happen inside a flower?
In the ovary.
Give two examples of how seeds can be dispersed.
Wind, water, animals, gravity, or explosion.
What is germination?
The process of a seed sprouting and beginning to grow into a new plant.
The part of a flower that makes seeds.
Ovary.
Why do flowers often have bright colors or sweet smells?
To attract pollinators (like bees or butterflies).
Fertilization combines pollen with what?
An egg (ovule).
Why is seed dispersal important for plants?
It prevents overcrowding and allows plants to grow in new places.
Name two things seeds need to germinate.
Water, air, and the right temperature.
The transfer of pollen from anther to stigma.
Pollination.
Compare pollination by wind vs. pollination by insects. How are they similar and different?
Both move pollen to another flower; wind pollination doesn’t require animals but is less targeted, while insect pollination is more direct and efficient.
Explain why fertilization is necessary for seed production.
Fertilization creates a new plant by combining male and female cells, which develops into a seed.
A dandelion and a coconut both disperse seeds differently. Compare how each disperses.
Dandelions use wind to float seeds away; coconuts float on water to travel long distances.
Explain why a seed might not germinate even if it lands in soil.
It may lack water, be too cold/hot, or not get enough air/light.
Explain how the terms pollination and fertilization are connected.
Pollination brings pollen to the stigma; fertilization happens after when pollen joins with the ovule. Both are needed for seed production.
What part of the flower makes pollen?
The anther.
After fertilization, what does the ovary become?
A fruit.
How might animals help seeds disperse without eating them?
Seeds can stick to fur or feathers and travel to new places.
What part of the seed grows first during germination?
The root.
The baby plant inside a seed.
Embryo.
Predict what might happen to plants if pollinators (like bees) disappeared.
Many plants would not be pollinated, leading to fewer seeds and less food production.
A flower is pollinated, but no fertilization occurs. What could be the reason?
The pollen didn’t reach the ovule, the pollen wasn’t compatible, or conditions weren’t right for fertilization.
Predict what would happen if a tree’s seeds only fell directly under it and didn’t disperse.
The seedlings would compete for sunlight, water, and nutrients, and many might not survive.
Compare seed germination in a garden that gets watered daily vs. one that is very dry. What differences might you see?
Seeds in the watered garden would sprout more quickly and successfully, while seeds in the dry garden may fail to germinate or grow weakly.
A classmate says that plants “make seeds so they can eat them later.” How would you explain the correct purpose of seeds?
Seeds hold the embryo and stored food to grow into a new plant, not for the parent plant to eat.