Seed Formation

• When the male nucleus fuses with the female

nucleus inside an ovule it produces a zygote.
• The zygote starts to divide. It produces a little
group of cells called embryo. This embryo will
eventually grow into a new plant.
• the ovule also begins to change it gradually
grows into a seed.
 Fruit
• When the ovule
develops into a
seed it is still
inside the ovary.
• While the ovule is
developing into a
seed the ovary is
changing too. The
ovary changes
into a fruit.
Seed dispersal
 Importance of Seed Dispersal
• First, seed survival is often higher away from the parent
plant.. Competition with adult plants may also be lower
when seeds are transported away from their parent.
• Seed dispersal also allows plants to reach specific habitats
that are favorable for survival, a hypothesis known as
directed dispersal
• Seeds dispersed by ants are not only dispersed short
distances but are also buried underground by the ants.
These seeds can thus avoid adverse environmental effects
such as fire or drought, reach nutrient-rich microsites and
survive longer than other seeds.
• Finally, at another scale, seed dispersal may allow plants
to colonize vacant habitats and even new geographic
regions.
Acorns fall from the tree and sprout

• If they are not

destroyed by
animals, white
oak acorns
can sprout
rapidly after
falling from
the tree.
 Animal dispersal by hooked
fruits

• Some species of
plant use hooks on
their fruits to attach
themselves to the
fur of mammals or
feathers of birds
 Animal burial
• Hard nuts are usually
destroyed if chewed or eaten.

• However, animals such as

squirrels may store them to
eat later and forget to go back
to get them, giving them a
chance to germinate.

• On rare occasions, birds such

as blue jays can transport
acorns long distances.
 Soft fruit dispersal

• Fleshy fruits

• The seeds of many

plants are dispersed
after passing
through the
digestive system of
animals that have
eaten the fleshy
fruits.
 Wind dispersal
• Some plants,
such as the
dandelion,
have seeds
that act as
parachutes,
which are
carried away
by the wind
Spinning dispersal

• Maple fruits are

winged, two-
seeded
pods. They spin
like helicopters as
they fall from the
tree, providing a
longer time for
dispersal by wind.
 Activity
• Look at the fruits carefully. Think about how this
fruit might help the seeds inside to be spread
away from the parent plant.

B D
A
C
 Activity
• Make a table and identify the method of seed
dispersal that this plants use.

B D
A
C
 Activity
• Make a large, labeled drawing of at least 2 of
the fruits. Label your diagram to explain how
each fruit is adapted to help disperse the seeds
inside it

B D
A
C
• Answer QUESTIONS 1 and 2
in page 19 of your text book.