Blog post #10 (Ayla)

This is an example of a perfect flower. A flower is considered perfect when it contains both the male and female parts.

The carpel is the female part of the flower.  It includes the stigma, the style, and the ovary.

This is pollen which comes from a plant's stamen and is vital in the reproduction process.

This is the male part of a flower is named the stamen.  It contains an anther (the curvy part are the top), a filament (the tube part), and pollen that contains that plants genetic material.

When closely examining a broccoli flower, I noticed an array of diverse parts.  Together, these parts work together to reproduce and pass along their genetic makeup.  This plant, the broccoli, is considered and angiosperm because all the reproduction happens within the flower.  In angiosperm reproduction, both the female and male parts must participate.  The male part is the stamen which releases pollen on its anther.  The pollen contains the plant's genes and can be distributed by pollinator, wind, and sometimes other animals.   The female part of the flower is called the carpel which includes the stigma, style, and ovary.  Once the pollen reaches the stigma, the pollen is transfered into the ovaries to fertilize.  Just like in humans, when the two gametes meet, a zygote is formed; ultimately, new life.