DELHI PUBLIC SCHOOL DEHRADUN

Class X
Subject: Biology
Chapter: How Do Organisms Reproduce?

Topics covered:
- Reproduction ( need and importance)
- Difference between asexual and sexual reproduction
- Asexual Reproduction
- Sexual Reproduction in flowering plants
NOTES: 1
Reproduction:
The production of new organisms from the existing organism of the same species is called
reproduction.

Significance of Reproduction:
● Reproduction is essential for the survival of species on this earth.
● The process of reproduction ensures continuity of life on earth.
● Reproduction gives rise to more organisms with the same basic characteristics as their
parents.

Types of Reproduction:
There are two main methods of reproduction in living organisms.
1. Asexual reproduction.
2. Sexual reproduction.

Asexual Reproduction-
The production of new organism from a single parent without the involvement of sex cells (
gametes) is called asexual reproduction.

Sexual Reproduction
The process of production of new organisms with the involvement of two parents by the
fusion of male and female gametes.

Methods of Asexual Reproduction

1. Fission
2. Budding
3. Spore formation
4. Regeneration
5. Fragmentation
6. Vegetative Propagation
1) Fission
In the process of fission a unicellular organism split to form two or more new organisms.
It is of two types.
Binary fission:
In Binary Fission , the parent organism splits to form two new organisms for example-
Amoeba, Paramecium Leishmania, Bacteria etc reproduce by binary fission.
When the amoeba cell has reached its maximum size of growth, then first the nucleus of the
amoeba lengthen and divides into two parts after that cytoplasm of parent amoeba divides to
form two smaller daughter amoebae .
In amoeba fission takes place in any plane as it is irregular in shape.

In Leishmania splitting of parent cells during fission takes place longitudinally.

Multiple Fission
In multiple fission the parent organism splits to form many new organisms at same time. For
example: Plasmodium.
(2) Budding
In budding a small part of a body of parent organism grows out as a bud which then detaches
and becomes a new organism.
For Example: Hydra, yeast reproduce by budding.

(Budding in yeast)

In Hydra a small out growth (bud) is formed on the sites of its body by the repeated mitotic
division of its cell. This bud then grows gradually by developing mouth and tentacles and
then a tiny new hydra detaches itself from the parent organism and lives as a separate
organism.
 (Budding in Hydra)

(3) Spore Formation:

In spare formation, the parent plant produces 100 of microscopic reproductive units called
“spores” within the sporangium. When the sporangium burst, then the spores spread into air.
When these air borne spores land on food or soil, under favorable conditions they germinate
and produce new plants for example: Most of the fungi such as Rhizopus ( bread mould)
,mucor, bacteria, non-flowering plants, ferns and mosses.
The common bread mould plant (rhizopus) consists of thread like hyphae and thin stretch
having knob like sporangium which contains 100 of spores enclosed in sporangium.
Note: Spores need appropriate moisture and temperature to germinate.

(4) Regeneration:

The ability to give rise to new individual organisms from their body parts. For example
simple animals like Hydra and Planaria show regeneration.
Planaria (Platyhelminthes) is found in freshwater ponds. If the body of planaria somehow
gets cut into a number of pieces then each body piece can regenerate into complete planaria.

(Regeneration in Planaria)

(Regeneration in Hydra)

(5) Fragmentation:
The breaking up of the body of a simple multicellular organism into two or more fragments
or maturing, each of which subsequently grows to form a new complete organism is known
as fragmentation.
Spirogyra is a green filamentous algae. Spirogyra breaks into two or more fragments on
maturing and each fragment then grows into new spirogyra.
(6) Vegetative reproduction (Vegetative propagation):
In vegetative propagation new plants are obtained from the parts of old plants (stem, leaves,
or root) without the help of any reproductive organ.
Advantages of Vegetative Propagation:
1. The plants raised through vegetative propagation can bear flowers and fruits earlier
than those produced from seeds.
2. Through vegetative propagation, it is possible to propagate plants like banana, orange,
rose and jasmine that have lost the capacity to produce seeds.
3. All plants produced through vegetative Reproduction are genetically similar.
4. Many plants can be grown from just one parent plant.

Natural methods of vegetative propagation:

- The green grass grows in the field after rain from the dry, old stem of the grass plant present
in the field by the method of vegetative propagation.
- Bryophyllum plants can be reproduced by vegetative propagation by using leaves.

Plant Vegetative propagule

Potato Potato tuber (stem)

Bryophyllum Leaves

Money plant Stem

vegetative propagation usually involves the growth and development of one or more buds
present on the old part of the plant to form a new plant.

Artificial method of vegetative propagation: The process of growing many plants from one
plant by man made method is called vegetative propagation.
Cutting:
A small part of the plant which is removed by making a cut with a sharp knife is called
cutting. A cut may be a piece of stem, root or leaves. For example-The plant like rose,
sugarcane, cactus are grown by cutting. It is necessary that there are some buds on it.
Layering:
In this method a branch of plant is pulled towards the ground and a part of it is covered with
moist soil leaving the tip of the branch exposed above the ground. After some time new roots
develop and then it is cut off from the parent plant and grows as a new plant. For example-
Jasmine, strawberry, hibiscus and guava etc.

Grafting:
It is the method in which the cut stem of two different plants one with root and other without
root and joined together in such a way that the two stem joints grow as a single plant. This
new plant has the characteristics of both the plants.
The cut stem of a plant having root is called stock and the cut stem of another plant is called
scion. For example- Apple, peach, apricot, pear etc.

Tissue culture (Micro propagation)- Invitro method of vegetative propagation:

The production of new plants from a small piece of plant tissue removed from a growing tip
of a plant in a suitable growth medium (culture or jelly like synthetic medium) is called tissue
culture.
Procedure:
● The tissue is placed on a culture medium which contains nutrients and plant
hormones, which make the cells in the plant tissue to divide rapidly to form callus.
● This callus is transferred to another medium containing plant hormone which
stimulates the callus to develop roots.
● Then it is put on another medium containing another plant hormone which stimulates
the development of shoot.
● The plantlets are then transplanted into soil where they can grow to form mature
plants. This technique is used to the production of ornamental plants like orchids,
carnations etc.
Advantages of tissue Culture:
1. It is a very fast technique.
2. New plants produced by tissue culture are disease free.
3. Very little space is needed.
4. By this method plants can be grown around the year irrespective of weather or
seasons.

Differences between Asexual and Sexual Reproduction:

Sexual Reproduction
● The production of new organism from two parents by making use of their sex
cells (called gametes) is called sexual reproduction.
● In sexual reproduction, a male gamete fuses with a female gamete to form a new cell
called zygote. This zygote then grows and develops into a new organism in due
course of time.
● (The cells involved in sexual reproduction are called sex cells or gametes or germ
cells)
Advantages of Sexual Reproduction over Asexual Reproduction:
1. The offspring produced by sexual reproduction are different from parents.
2. Variations give rise to variety and diversity.
3. Variations enable organisms to adapt and survive in the changing environment.
4. It helps to prevent the complete extinction of animal and plant species.
Note: Variations arise during sexual reproduction due to alteration in genetic material (DNA)
that keep on passing from one generation to another.

Sexual Reproduction in Flowering plants:

● The plants in which the sex organs are carried within the flowers and the seeds are
enclosed in a fruit are called angiosperms (flowering plants).
 ● The flowering plants are reproduced by sexual reproduction method.
● The function of a flower is to make male and female gametes and to ensure that
fertilisation will take place to make new seeds for the reproduction of plants.

Parts of a Flower:

The main parts of flower are:

1. Sepals (group name calyx): Sepals are green outermost leaf-like floral organs which
protect the flower in the bud stage.
2. Petals (group name corolla): The colorful parts of a flower are called petals. The
petals lie inside the sepals.
Petals attract insects to flowers for pollination. They also provide protection to
centrally placed reproductive organs.
3. Stamen (Androecium): Stamen is the male reproductive part and it produces pollen
grains that are yellowish in color.
The stalk of stamen is called filament and the swollen top of stamen is called anther.
The anther of stamen makes the pollen grains and stores them.
4. Carpel (Gynoecium): Carpel is present in the centre of a flower and is the female
reproductive part.
It is made up of three parts. The swollen bottom part is ovary, the middle elongated
part is the style and the terminal part which may be sticky is the stigma.
 (The ovary contains ovules and each ovule has an egg cell.
The flowers which contain only sex organ, either stamens or carpels are called
unisexual flower. For example: papaya and watermelon plants
The flowers which contain both the sex organs, stamens as well as carpel, are
called bisexual flowers. For example: Hibiscus and mustard plants).

A new seed of the plant is formed when the male gamete in a pollen grain unites
with the female gametes present in the ovule.

Pollination:
● The transfer of pollen grains from the anther of a stamen to the stigma of a
carpel is called pollination.
● If the transfer of pollen occurs in the same flower or another flower on the same plant,
it is called self-pollination.
● If the pollen is transferred from the anther of a flower on one plant to the stigma of a
flower on another similar plant, it is called cross-pollination.
● Pollination is done by insects, birds, winds and water.

Fertilization:
Fertilization occurs when the male gamete present in pollen grain joins with the female
gametes present in ovule.
● A male gamete moves down the pollen tube. The pollen tube enters the ovule in the
ovary. The tip of the pollen tube bursts open and male gamete comes out of the pollen
tube.
 ● In ovary, the male gamete of pollen combines with the nucleus of the female gamete
or egg present in ovule to form a fertilized egg called zygote.
● After fertilization, the zygote divides several times to form an embryo within the
ovule. The ovule develops a tough coat and is gradually converted into a seed.
● The ovary grows rapidly and ripens to form a fruit. The other parts of flower like
sepals, petals, stamen, stigma and style dry up and fall off.

A seed is the reproductive unit of a plant. The seed contains a baby plant (or embryo)
and food for the baby plant.
● The part of the baby plant which develops into shoots with leaves is called plumule
and the part which develops into roots is called radicle. The part of seed which
contains stored food for the baby plant is called cotyledons.
● When the seed gets suitable conditions like water, air warmth etc., it germinates and a
new plant grows out of the seed.