Reproduction and Modification in Plants — Class 7 Science (Samacheer Kalvi)
TN State Board (Samacheer Kalvi) Class 7 Science, Term 1 — Chapter 5. How plants reproduce and modify their parts.
1. About this chapter
This chapter covers sexual and asexual reproduction, the parts of a flower, pollination and its agents, and the modifications of roots and stems.
2. Types of reproduction
- Plants reproduce in two ways: sexual and asexual.
- Asexual reproduction needs only one parent — e.g. vegetative propagation (by roots, stems or leaves) and budding in yeast. Vegetative propagation by leaves takes place in Bryophyllum.
3. The flower and pollination
- The flower is the reproductive part of a plant. Its two important parts are the androecium (male) and the gynoecium (female).
- Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma. Its agents are insects, wind, water and animals (pollinators).
4. Modifications of roots and stems
- Roots may be modified for support: climbing roots are seen in betel and black pepper.
- Stems may be modified: ginger is an underground stem (not a root); a tendril is an elongated structure that helps a plant climb — in pea, the terminal leaflets are modified into a tendril.
5. Worked examples
Example 1. Which plant shows vegetative propagation by leaves? Bryophyllum.
Example 2. Is ginger a root or a stem? An underground stem.
Example 3. Define pollination. The transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma.
6. Book-back questions (Samacheer Kalvi)
I. Choose the correct answer
- Vegetative propagation by leaves takes place in — (a) Bryophyllum / (b) mango. Ans: (a) Bryophyllum.
- Asexual reproduction in yeast is by — (a) seeds / (b) budding. Ans: (b) budding.
- The reproductive part of a plant is the — (a) root / (b) flower. Ans: (b) flower.
- Climbing roots are seen in — (a) betel and black pepper / (b) pea. Ans: (a) betel and black pepper.
- Pollinators are — (a) insects / (b) wind and water / (c) all the above. Ans: (c) all the above.
II. Answer briefly 6. Name the two types of reproduction in plants. — Sexual and asexual reproduction. 7. What are the two important parts of a flower? — The androecium and the gynoecium. 8. What is a tendril? — An elongated structure that helps a plant climb (in pea, the terminal leaflets become a tendril).
III. True or False 9. The transfer of pollen to the stigma is called pollination. — True. 10. Ginger is an underground root. — False (it is an underground stem).
7. Common mistakes
- Mistake: Calling ginger a root. Fix: Ginger is an underground stem.
- Mistake: Saying only insects are pollinators. Fix: Pollinators include insects, wind, water and animals.
- Mistake: Confusing the flower's parts. Fix: Androecium is male; gynoecium is female.
8. Quick revision
- Term 1 · Ch 5 · reproduction and modification in plants.
- Reproduction: sexual and asexual (vegetative propagation; budding in yeast; Bryophyllum by leaves).
- Flower = reproductive part; androecium (male) and gynoecium (female); pollination = anther → stigma (agents: insects, wind, water, animals).
- Modifications: climbing roots (betel, black pepper); ginger = underground stem; tendril helps climbing (pea).
