Botany · Class 11 Science
Ch 10Reproduction in Organisms — Class 11 Botany, concept-first.
Whatever an organism's life span, death is inevitable for every individual — except, notably, single-celled organisms, which do not undergo a natural death in the same sense because the parent cell simply divides to become the next generation.
Key concepts
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Reproduction and Life Span
Every organism has a finite life span — the period between its birth and natural death — and life spans vary enormously across species, from a few days in some insects to several thousand years in certain long-lived tree…
Most relevant Q&A
Chapter contents
The NCERT structure, section by section. Open a section to see its questions, then read the concept-first solution.
Asexual Reproduction
Whatever an organism's life span, death is inevitable for every individual — except, notably, single-celled organisms, which do not undergo a natural death in the same sense because the parent cell si…
Sexual Reproduction
Despite the enormous diversity among plants, animals and fungi in body form, internal structure and physiology, their sexual reproduction follows a broadly similar pattern.
Pre-fertilisation Events
- Gametogenesis — the production of the male and female gametes themselves, through cell division within the reproductive organs or structures of the parent organism(s).
Gametogenesis
Among animals, most species are unisexual — the cockroach, for instance, exists as separate male and female individuals (Figure 1.6b), each with only testes or only ovaries.
Gamete Transfer
Gamete Transfer Once male and female gametes have formed, they must be physically brought together before they can fuse — this movement is called gamete transfer.
Fertilisation
Fertilisation The single most important event in sexual reproduction is the fusion of the male and female gametes.
Post-fertilisation Events
Two closely linked processes make up this stage: - Formation of the zygote — the diploid cell created immediately by fertilisation, whose further fate depends on the kind of organism and the environme…
The Zygote
The Zygote The formation of a diploid zygote by the fusion of gametes is a universal feature of sexual reproduction, found in every sexually reproducing organism.
Embryogenesis
Because viviparous young receive continuous embryonic care and protection inside the parent's body, their survival chances are generally much higher than those of oviparous young, whose eggs and hatch…
Summary
Sexual reproduction, the near-universal strategy in higher animals, is slower and more complex because it depends on the formation and fusion of gametes from (typically) two parents, producing genetic…
Exercises
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- Q1Why is reproduction essential for organisms?Free
- Q2Which is a better mode of reproduction: sexual or asexual? Why?Free
- Q3Why is the offspring formed by asexual reproduction referred to as clone?Free
- Q4Offspring formed due to sexual reproduction have better chances of survival. Why? Is this statement always true?Preview
- Q5How does the progeny formed from asexual reproduction differ from those formed by sexual reproduction?Preview
- Q6Distinguish between asexual and sexual reproduction. Why is vegetative reproduction also considered as a type of asexual reproduction?Preview
- Q7What is vegetative propagation? Give two suitable examples.Preview
- Q8Define (a) Juvenile phase, (b) Reproductive phase, (c) Senescent phase.Preview
- Q9Higher organisms have resorted to sexual reproduction in spite of its complexity. Why?Preview
- Q10Explain why meiosis and gametogenesis are always interlinked?Preview
- Q11Identify each part in a flowering plant and write whether it is haploid (n) or diploid (2n). (a) Ovary ——————————— (b) Anther ——————————— (c…Preview
- Q12Define external fertilisation. Mention its disadvantages.Preview
- Q13Differentiate between a zoospore and a zygote.Preview
- Q14Differentiate between gametogenesis from embryogenesis.Preview
- Q15Describe the post-fertilisation changes in a flower.Preview
- Q16What is a bisexual flower? Collect five bisexual flowers from your neighbourhood and with the help of your teacher find out their common and…Preview
- Q17Examine a few flowers of any cucurbit plant and try to identify the staminate and pistillate flowers. Do you know any other plant that bears…Preview
- Q18Why are offspring of oviparous animals at a greater risk as compared to offspring of viviparous animals?Preview