Research Biology
Mr. Luis A. Velazquez
Flower Parts
A. The Flower:
The flower is the reproductive unit of some plants (angiosperms). Parts of the
flower include petals, sepals, one or more carpels (the female reproductive
organs), and stamens (the male reproductive organs).
B. The Female Reproductive Organs:
The pistil is the collective term for the carpel(s). Each carpel includes an ovary
(where the ovules are produced; ovules are the female reproductive cells, the
eggs), a style (a tube on top of the ovary), and a stigma (which receives the
pollen during fertilization).
C. The Male Reproductive Organs:
Stamens are the male reproductive parts of flowers. A stamen consists of an
anther (which produces pollen) and a filament. The pollen consists of the male
reproductive cells; they fertilize ovules.
D. Fertilization:
Pollen must fertilize an ovule to produce a viable seed. This process is called
pollination, and is often aided by animals like bees, which fly from flower to
flower collecting sweet nectar. As they visit flowers, they spread pollen around,
depositing it on some stigmas. After a male's pollen grains have landed on the
stigma during fertilization, pollen tubes develop within the style, burrowing down
to the ovary, where the sperm fertilizes an ovum (an egg cell), in the ovule. After
fertilization, the ovule develops into a seed in the ovary.
E. Types of Flowers:
Some flowers have both male and female reproductive organs they are known
as perfect flowers ; some flowers have only male reproductive organs or only
female reproductive organs they are known as imperfect flowers. Some plants
have both male and female flowers, while other have males on one plant and
females on another. Complete flowers have stamens, a pistil, petals, and
sepals. Incomplete flowers lack one of these parts.
1. Incomplete Flower
An incomplete flower is missing one of the four major parts of the flower,
the stamen, pistil, petals, or sepals.
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2. Imperfect Flower
An imperfect flower has either male (stamen) and female (ovary)
reproductive organs on the same flower, but not both. (Compare with
perfect flowers.)
Research Biology
Mr. Luis A. Velazquez
The Basic Flower Parts
The flower consists of many different parts. Some of the most important parts
being separated into both male and female parts.
1. Male Parts
a. Stamen
This is the male part of the flower. It is made up of the filament and
anther, it is the pollen producing part of the plant. The number of
stamen is usually the same as the number of petals.
b. Anther
This is the part of the stamen that produces and contains pollen. It
is usually on top of a long stalk that looks like a fine hair.
c. Filament
This is the fine hair-like stalk that the anther sits on top of.
2. Female Parts
a. Pistil
This is the female part of the flower. It is made up of the stigma,
style, and ovary. Each pistil is constructed of one to many rolled
leaflike structures.
b. Stigma
One of the female parts of the flower. It is the sticky bulb that you
see in the center of the flowers, it is the part of the pistil of a flower
which receives the pollen grains and on which they germinate.
c. Style
Another female part of the flower. This is the long stalk that the
stigma sits on top of.
d. Ovary
The part of the plant, usually at the bottom of the flower, that has
the seeds inside and turns into the fruit that we eat. The ovary
contains ovules.
e. Ovule
The part of the ovary that becomes the seeds.
Research Biology
Mr. Luis A. Velazquez
Name:______________________________Period____Date:______________
Plants
The Venn diagram below is comparing flowering and non-flowering plants. Put
characteristics and names of flowering plants and non-flowering plants in their
labeled sections. In the center put characteristics that they have in common.