flowering-plant

flowering-plantThe plants which can produce flowers are called flowering plants. These plants fall under the category of vascular plants. These plants can transport water and nutrients throughout their different parts. Vascular plants transport nutrients and water with the help of special tissues; xylem and phloem. There is a separate scientific term used to describe a flowering plant called angiosperm.

What Are Flowers?

flower-of-a-plantFlowers are the beautiful part of plants that gives us visual attraction and refreshing smells. We all love flowers and their good smell. Many people visit the parks and forests to see plants and flowers. You may be familiar with the famous Rose flower, which has a red color and a good smell.

Flowers are the reproductive parts of a plant which contain the sex organs. They produce seeds and fruits by pollinating and fertilizing. The main parts of a flower are sepal, petal, stamen, filament, anther, pistil, stigma, and carpel.

What Are Fruits?

fruit-with-seedsMany flowering plants don’t produce seeds directly. Instead, they produce fruits from flowers, and seeds are contained inside the fruits. Fruits are fleshy ripened ovaries of plants, e.g. apples, bananas, apricots, almonds, and corn grains. The plants produce fruits from flowers because it helps them to spread their seeds.

Life Cycle of the Flowering Plants

life-cycle-of-a-plantA flowering plant starts its life as a seed, which is germinated and grows its first roots and leaves. The plant then continues to grow and takes the necessary nutrients and water for its growth. When these plants reach maturity, they produce flowers. Then, the pollination starts and the female part is fertilized to produce seeds and fruits. These newly produced seeds are ready to start their life once they reach the rich and moist soil.

See Life Cycle of Plants

Pollination

plants-pollination-by-insectsWhen flowers are produced in a mature plant, they need to be pollinated for making seeds. Plants get pollinated when the pollen from the male part of a plant called the anther reaches its female part called the pistil. After pollination, fertilization starts in the ovary of the pistil and the seeds or fruits are made in the process.

Pollination Methods

Various methods help plants in pollination. Some of them are:

Insect-Pollinated Flowers

Plants produce flowers that attract many insects due lovely scent and sweet nectar. These insects reach inside the flower to eat pollen. In doing so, sticky pollens get attached to their bodies. When the same insects will go near to female parts of a flower in the same plant or another, its body will touch the pistils. The upper part of the pistils called the stigma is also sticky. It catches pollen rubbed against it by the body of insects.

Wind Pollination

Wind plays an important part in pollinating plants which don’t have nectar and scent to attract insects. These plants have elongated anthers that come out of flowers so that pollen can travel with the wind and reach the pistil for pollination.

Hand Pollination

Humans also take the pollen from one plant and move it to another plant for increased fertility of their crops.

Seeds

sunflower-seedSeeds are produced when plants are fertilized. These seeds contain the embryo of a plant (much like a baby) and the necessary food. It is protected with an outer coating.

The seed must be germinated to grow as a plant. For germination, it needs many necessary things including rich soil and water (see How Plants Grow). There are many ways in which seeds disperse across the land. Some are given below:

  • Wind
  • Rivers and Streams
  • Animals
  • Humans

Interesting Facts

  • Many flowers are used to make scents due to their good and attractive smell.
  • Rafflesia arnoldii is the largest flower. It grows as large as 3 feet and can weigh 15 pounds.
  • Wolffia is the smallest flowering plant, which is about the size of a rice grain.
life-cycle-of-a-plant

life-cycle-of-a-plantA lifecycle is a continuous process that describes how a living thing starts its life, grows to maturity, reproduces, and dies. All living things including plants have specific lifecycle which keeps their species alive. Furthermore, the lifecycle goes step-by-step – also called stages of the lifecycle – in which organisms go through a series of changes within their bodies which are also affected by environmental factors.

What is Plant Life Cycle?

Plants are living things, they grow and reproduce like any other living thing. They also follow a cyclic process in various stages like starting a new life, growing, and then coming back to the starting stage (reproducing). Plants start their life from seed and grow up to become mature plants.

The life cycle of plants contains various stages which follow under the two distinct phases of the Plant’s life cycle which are the haploid phase and diploid phase. These two phases of the plant lifecycle can also alternate and this process is called the alternation of generations

Alternation of Generations

The alternation of generations is the primary type of lifecycle in plants. In this lifecycle, the haploid sexual phase (gametophytes) which consists of only a single set of chromosomes turns into a diploid asexual phase (sporophytes) which contains two sets of chromosomes. Both haploid and diploid are multicellular and their cells split by meiosis and mitosis process of cell division respectively. This alternation of generation is not only common in plants but also found in algae and fungi.

Stages of Plant’s Life Cycle

Most of the plants start their life as a seed. The seed is buried in the ground by various methods where it germinates and the first leaves of the plant start to appear called seedling. After that, further growth starts and the plant reaches maturity where it pollinates and gives seeds so that its species continue to survive by starting the life cycle again. The stages of a plant’s life cycle are broken into 3, 4, and 5. But the most widely accepted is the 5 stage model.

The five stages of the Life cycle of Plants are:

  • Seed
  • Germination and Seedling
  • Growing to Maturity
  • Flowering, Pollinating, and Seeding
  • Seed Dispersion

Seed – 1st Stage

sunflower-seed
sunflower-seed

Seeds are much like babies of animals. They contain the embryo of the plants with necessary food and an outer coating for protection.

These seeds are dispersed across the land in many ways, such as moving water, wind, animals, and humans. When they fall on the rich soil with necessary things, such as water and the right temperature, they germinate and start their journey of life.

Germination and Seedling – 2nd Stage

sunflower-seedling
Sunflower seedling

When the conditions in the soil are just right, the seed germinates. First, it breaks the outer coating and begins growing its first roots and leaves (cotyledons).

When the first sign of life from a seed appears out of the soil, it is called a seedling. As soon as the roots and leaves appear, they start their work, i.e. roots absorb water and nutrients, and leaves make food by photosynthesis. After this, the plumules develop from which new leaves emerge and grow. Plumules are the basic stems during the seedling stage.

Growing to Maturity – 3rd Stage

mature-sunflower-plants
Mature sunflower plants

The seedling continues to grow until it reaches its full maturity. The plant needs many necessary things during its growth such as water, nutrient-rich soil, air, sunlight, the right temperature, and sufficient spacing from other plants. (For details check how plants grow?).

When plants become mature, they have to get stronger roots and an increased number of branches and leaves. At this stage, they are ready to make flowers and new seeds.

Flowering, Pollinating, and Seeding – 4th Stage

cross-pollination

When plants become mature, they start to make flowers from modified shoots (determinate Apical Meristem). In most plants, a flower contains male and female parts; the male part is called a stamen, and the female part is called a pistil. The stamen produces the pollen (a powdery substance) which needs to reach the pistil for the production of seeds. The pollen usually spread and reaches the pistils through insects that sit on the flowers for sucking sweet fluids. When the pollen reaches the pistils, it fertilizes the cells inside it and produces seeds.

There are many plants whose male and female parts are separated by a large distance. In this case, winds and flying insects play a very important role in pollination. Winds usually carry pollen in a strong blow along with them which often reach female parts. On the other hand, Insects go from one plant to another for drinking sweet fluids. When they enter a flower, pollen get sticks to their bodies and is carried to female parts when they sit on that part of the plant.

Seed Dispersion – 5th Stage

seed-dispersion

After the production of seeds, the plants need a way to disperse these seeds to favorable places where they can germinate and start their life cycle. Most of the time, nature does the job of dispersion for the plants through winds, moving water, and animals. But there are also plants whose seeds are surrounded by fibers that help them to glide in the air when they fall apart from the plant. During their glide, they can reach very far distances and start their life away from their parent plants.

What about Seedless Plants?

spores-of-fern
Spores of fern on its leaves

You may be thinking that all the plants are grown from seeds, but it is not true! Many plants don’t produce the flowers and seeds to reproduce. Instead, they grow from the spores of their parent plants. Spores can be parts of a plant or their remaining upon their death. New plants are produced from the spores and continue to grow.

See Non-Flowering plants for further information.

FAQs

What is Self-Pollination and Cross-Pollination?

In self-pollination, the pollen from the anther reaches the stigma in the same flower, or a different flower in the same plant. However, cross-pollination is a bit different. It happens when the pollen from the anther of one plant reaches the stigma of another plant’s flower having the same species. Both of these processes can happen naturally as well as artificially.

What is the Asexual Reproduction of Plants?

In simple, the plants which grow without fertilization are called asexually reproduced plants. Asexual reproduction can occur from fragmentation, spores, budding, and vegetative propagation. Potatoes are a famous example of the asexual reproduction of plants.

Interesting Facts

  • Great Basin bristlecone pine is the longest living plant found in the world. Its age is measured to be around 5,056 years.
  • Coco de Mer is the seed of a palm tree, it can weigh about 18 Kg (40 pounds) and can reach a height of 12 feet.
  • Rose, Jasmine, and Lily are the strongest smelling flowers.
  • When a seed is not germinating, it is in a dormant state. In this stage, it is no more than dead stuff.
Europe-Continent-Map

Europe-Continent-MapEurope is one of the wealthiest and 6th largest continent by size. It is considered to be a unique continent based on its culture and history. However, geologists consider it to be the subcontinent of Eurasia’s landmass. Europe shares 9.6% of the world’s total population and is the 3rd largest continent by population.

Geography

Europe covers an area of 10.53 million km2 which is about 7% of Earth’s total land area. But if you compare this area with Earth’s total surface (Land + Oceans) then it would be only 2%. Europe is bounded by the Arctic Ocean to the North, the Mediterranean and Black sea to the South, the Atlantic Ocean to the West, and the Asian continent towards its Eastern side. There are 44 recognized countries in Europe including the UK, Spain, Ukraine, Germany, France, and Italy.

Climate

Europe’s climate lies between the polar and tropic regions; also known as the temperate climate zone. Here temperature changes between -5 °C to 22 °C around the year in human-occupied areas. However, the temperature may fall below -42 °C in the coldest places. Other than this, the Gulf Stream also affects the temperature of Europe. It makes the temperature milder as compared to other regions located at the same latitude.

People and Culture

Europe-Ethnic-Culture-MapThe human species living in Europe goes back 45,000 years ago. A lot of people have moved and settled in Europe since then from Asia and Africa. There are many cultural and language differences throughout its territories. Due to distinct cultural differences in short spans, Europe projects a sharp ethnic culture map. There are around 160 distinct cultural groups in Europe and hundreds of different spoken languages. Currently, the number of official languages in Europe is 24.

The two major religions in Europe are Christianity and Islam. Christianity is the most dominant religion; 3 out of 4 people are Christians. Around one-tenth of the people don’t place themselves in any religion category. The other minority religions by population are Judaism, Hinduism, and Buddhists.

Land Features

The European continent is subdivided into western and eastern Europe due to some cultural differences. Western Europe is smaller than its counterpart and has the longest coastline. Overall, European land has many rivers, lakes, and good access to oceans and seas. These features make transportation by water easier within Europe and towards other continents.

Facts

  • Vatican City is the smallest country in Europe having an area of 110 acres or 0.4 km². It is surrounded by only one country; Italy.
  • Volga River is the largest river in Europe having a length of 3,530 kilometers. This river starts in Russia and flows through Western Europe.
  • Mount Etna is the largest active volcano in Europe having a height of 3,357 kilometers. This volcano is located in Sicily, Italy, and is erupting lava and fumes all the time.
African-Continent-Map

African-Continent-MapAfrica is 2nd largest continent by Area which constitutes around 20% of the Earth’s land. Africa is the home of 1.3 billion humans which makes it the 2nd most populous continent. Furthermore, the median age of the African population is 19.5 years, which makes it the youngest population worldwide.

Geography and Climate

Africa covers 30.3 million km2 of land area which accounts for 6% of the total Earth’s surface area (including land and oceanic area). Africa is surrounded by the Atlantic Ocean on its western side, the Indian Ocean towards its Southeast, the Red Sea towards the Northeast, and the Mediterranean towards its Northern side. Africa contains 54 recognized countries which makes it the largest continent by the number of countries. The largest nation in Africa by area is Algeria, and, the largest nation by population is Nigeria.

The climate of Africa fall between the tropical and subarctic range. The temperatures are coldest on the peaks of mountains, and hottest in desert areas. The northern parts of Africa are mostly deserts or arid due to less rainfall and the unavailability of rivers. Deserts and drylands cover about 60% of the African land. Whereas, the remaining 40% is covered with grasslands and forests. The hottest temperature in Africa was recorded to be 58 ⁰C in Libya in 2013.

People and Culture

Africa is well known for being the origin of human beings who then migrated to different parts of the world over a long period. Culturally, Africans are very diverse, they spoke around 1,500 unique languages (a little less than Asia). The Northern half of Africa is a Muslim-majority area. While the remaining half is Christianity dominant area. By percentage, 32% of Africans are Muslims, 62% are Christians, and the remaining 6% are from other religions.

Africa is the continent where the oldest traditions of culture are still alive from thousands of years ago. Unfortunately, colonial regimes in the past have suppressed the practice of traditional culture. Africa has a rich history in art, architecture, music, sports, and dance. The great pyramids of Giza are one of the most remarkable architecture in the history of mankind and are located in African Egypt.

Land Features

Pyramids-of-EgyptAfrican Continent has many remarkable geographical features and many are unique. The most famous geographical feature is probably the Sahara Desert; the largest desert on Earth. The Sahara desert has an area of about 9.2 million km2 which takes up around 30% of African land. The second most prominent feature is the River Nile which is 2nd largest river in the world after the Amazon River. The other remarkable features in Africa are Lake Victoria, Mount Kilimanjaro, Victoria Falls, and Ituri Rainforest.

Facts

  • The smallest nation in Africa is the Republic of Seychelles with an area of 451 km2. In other words, it is nearly half the size of New York City.
  • Nigeria is the most populous and the largest producer of oil in Africa.
  • Madagascar is the largest island of the African Continent which is also classified as a minor continent.
  • African land is the home of largest land animals than any other continent. Some of the largest animals are African elephants, White and Black Rhinoceros, Cape Buffalos, and Hippopotamus.
Asia-Continent-map

Asia-Continent-mapAsia is the largest continent on Earth featuring diverse cultures and History. It has around 4.4 billion human population which accounts for 60% of the world’s human population. It covers about 30% of the total land area of the Earth with 48 recognized countries by the United Nations.

Geography and Climate

The surface area of Asia is 44.5 million km2 or 9% of the total surface area of the Earth (including land and oceanic area). Asia is bounded by the Pacific Ocean on the east, the Arctic Ocean on the North, and the Indian Ocean on the south. Among the 48 Asian countries, 6 are transcontinental which are situated on both the Asian continent and another continent. For example, Egypt lies in both Asia and Africa, and Turkey lies in both Asia and Europe.

The average elevation (distance above sea level) of Asia is between 900 – 1220 meters which makes it the highest elevation continent. The highest peak on Earth, the Mouth Everest, also lies in Asia at the height of 8.85 kilometers. Asia has 62,800 kilometers of coastline with 3 major oceans; the Pacific, Indian, and the Arctic. The coastline is mostly mountainous and the remaining is sandy surface. Asia has a diverse climate that ranges from tropical in the Indian subcontinent to the arctic in Siberia.

People and Culture

A large variety of people live in Asia which has 2,300 languages in different regions. Many of those languages have functionally become extinct, and only less than a thousand people speak them. Other than this, Asia is the land where all the major religions and a few hundred minor religions originated and preached. By population, Islam is the dominant religion in Asia, then comes Hinduism.

The settlement pattern of Asian people mostly formed around agriculture. The rural area population is increasing quite faster in many Asian countries. Recently, China and Russia have initiated many programs to settle people from densely populated areas to frontier zones to develop industrial and agricultural sectors.

The diverse communities living in Asia make it very colorful in terms of the tradition of literature, lifestyle, politics, music, architecture, and art. The Islamic culture is the most dominant in Asia, then comes Buddhism and Hinduism. These dominant cultures have a strong influence over other communities.

Land Features

mount-everest
Mount Everest

Most of the Asian land consists of mountain ranges and plateaus which account for 75% of the total land area. The largest mountain range in Asia is the Himalayas which is situated in 4 countries; India, China, Nepal, and Bhutan. The largest peak, Mount Everest, is also part Himalayas. The remaining 25% of the land consists of plains with many wide valleys from which rivers flow. Asia has many great rivers, some of them flowing from multiple countries. Examples of these rivers are Indus, Yangtze, Yellow, Mekong, Yenisei, and Lena River.

Facts

  • Burj Khalifa is the largest man-made building with a height of 828 meters and is located in Dubai, Asia.
  • Asia is on top of the list by the number of billionaires. It is the home of 1,088 billionaires of which 698 belong to China.
  • Among the 7 wonders of the world, 2 wonders are situated in Asia; the Taj Mahal in India, and the Great Wall of China.