The Process of Fertilisation in Plants (Edexcel IGCSE Science)

Fertilisation & Fruit Formation

Spec point — 3.4 · understand that the growth of the pollen tube followed by fertilisation leads to seed and fruit formation

Fertilisation

• After successful pollination a pollen tube forms to deliver the male nucleus to the egg cell, or ovum, in the ovary of a flower

  • The pollen tube grows down the style towards the ovary
  • The pollen grain travels down the pollen tube

• Fertilisation occurs when the pollen nucleus and the ovum nucleus fuse together to form a zygote

The pollen nucleus travels down a pollen tube before fusing with a female nucleus during fertilisation

Seed and fruit formation

• After fertilisation the ovule develops into a seed

• The parts of the flower surrounding the ovule develop into a fruit, which contains the seeds

• Fruits provide a mechanism for seed dispersal, e.g.

  • some fruits are eaten by animals, which then disperse the seeds in their droppings
  • some fruits have sticky hooks that get caught in the fur of passing animals

Exam Hint Students often get confused between pollination and fertilisation in plants, but they are not the same thing.

• Pollination = pollen landing on the stigma of a flower
• Fertilisation = fusion of the male and female nuclei