A flowering plant reproduces sexually. Explain how the male gamete reaches the female gamete during sexual reproduction in a flowering plant, and state what type of cell the zygote is. Include in your answer the names of the structures involved.
Written & reviewed by James Millett — Biology (Imperial College London), PGCE Science (University of Cambridge).
In flowering plants, sexual reproduction involves the transfer of genetic material from the male part of the flower to the female part, followed by fertilisation to form a zygote.
Model answer (5 marks)
Pollen, which contains the male gamete, is transferred from the anther to the stigma by pollination. A pollen tube then grows down the style towards the ovule. The male gamete travels down the pollen tube to the ovule, where it meets the female gamete (the egg cell) inside the ovary. Fertilisation occurs when the male gamete fuses with the egg cell to form a zygote. The zygote is a diploid cell, containing two copies of each chromosome.
Examiner tips
- Use the exact terms: pollen, anther, stigma, pollen tube, style, ovule, egg cell, fertilisation, zygote, diploid.
- Show the sequence of transfer and fertilisation clearly; include all structure names.
- Mention that the zygote is diploid to gain the full mark.
Common mistakes
- Confusing the anther with the stigma or omitting the pollen tube.
- Failing to state that the zygote is diploid.
- Using vague terms like ‘sperm’ instead of ‘male gamete’ or ‘egg’ instead of ‘female gamete’.
Mark scheme (5 marks)
- Pollen (containing the male gamete) is transferred from the anther to the stigma by pollination
- A pollen tube grows down through the style towards the ovule
- The male gamete travels down the pollen tube to the ovule / egg cell (female gamete) inside the ovary
- Fertilisation occurs when the male gamete fuses with the female gamete (egg cell) to form a zygote
- The zygote is a diploid cell (contains two copies of each chromosome / a full set of chromosomes)
Key terms in this question
Related
- All Edexcel A-Level Biology A: Salters-Nuffield (9BN0) revision notes →
- How to answer a "Explain" question →
- Decode the mark scheme abbreviations →
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