Q1. [4] medium exam-ready
Read the following passage and answer the questions that follow:
After a flower is successfully pollinated, a pollen tube grows from the pollen grain through the style and reaches the ovary. Fertilisation occurs, producing a zygote. The zygote divides repeatedly to form an embryo. Meanwhile, a tough coat forms around the ovule. The ovary wall begins to thicken and ripen. The seed, containing the embryo, eventually ends up inside this ripened structure. Under suitable conditions of moisture, warmth and oxygen, the seed can develop into a new plant.
(i) What is the name of the ripened ovary? What is the name given to the process by which the seed develops into a new plant? (1 mark)
(ii) What does the tough coat around the ovule eventually become, and what is its function? (1 mark)
(iii) A flower that contains only the pistil (no stamens) cannot undergo self-pollination. Explain one way in which pollen can still reach the stigma of such a flower. (1 mark)
(iv) State one advantage of seed formation for the dispersal and survival of the plant species. (1 mark)
Generated by claude-sonnet-4-6 · 2026-06-26 01:02 · grounding rag
Model Answer
(i) The ripened ovary is called a fruit. The process by which a seed develops into a new plant is called germination.
(ii) The tough coat around the ovule becomes the seed coat. Its function is to protect the embryo inside the seed from damage and unfavourable conditions.
(iii) Pollen can reach the stigma of such a flower through cross-pollination, where agents like wind, water, or animals transfer pollen from the stamen of another flower to the stigma of this flower.
(iv) Seeds can be dispersed over long distances by wind, water, or animals. This helps the species spread to new areas and survive even if the parent plant dies.
Source: Chapter 7, Section 7.3.2 – Sexual Reproduction in Flowering Plants
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Explanation
- (i) The passage explicitly states: "The ovary grows rapidly and ripens to form a fruit" and "This process is known as germination." Both terms must be written.
- (ii) "The ovule develops a tough coat and is gradually converted into a seed" — so the coat = seed coat. Examiners expect the function: protection of the embryo.
- (iii) The passage defines cross-pollination and lists agents (wind, water, animals). Since the flower has no stamens, self-pollination is impossible; cross-pollination is the only route.
- (iv) Keep this to one clear, complete advantage. Dispersal + survival is the standard expected answer from the chapter's discussion of seed formation.