# Describe how sexual reproduction in flowering plants produces a seed. Include in your answer the roles of the male and female gametes and explain why the seeds may show variation.

> Edexcel A-Level Biology A: Salters-Nuffield (9BN0) — 2.3 Sexual reproduction in animals and plants · Describe · 5 marks

## Mark scheme (5 marks)

1. Pollen grain (containing the male gamete / haploid nucleus) is transferred to the stigma of a flower (pollination)
2. The male gamete travels down the pollen tube to reach the female gamete (ovule / egg cell) for fertilisation
3. Fertilisation — the male and female gametes fuse to form a diploid zygote
4. The zygote develops (by mitosis / cell division) into an embryo, which becomes enclosed in a seed
5. Seeds may show variation because each gamete is haploid and contains a different combination of genetic information / alleles, so when they fuse the offspring have a unique combination of genetic material different from either parent

## Key terms

- [gamete](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/gamete)
- [variation](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/glossary/variation)

## Related

- [Revision notes for Edexcel A-Level Biology A: Salters-Nuffield (9BN0)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/learn)
- [How to answer "Describe" questions](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/tools/command-word-cheatsheet)
- [Practice this with AI marking (free)](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/start)

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Source: [GradeNine](https://www.gradenine.co.uk/q/describe-how-sexual-reproduction-in-flowering-54047201) · Published by Druglandscape Ltd.