Parts of a flower, insect vs wind pollination, pollination vs fertilisation, how fruits and seeds form, and seed dispersal.
5 narrated scenes. Press play, listen and read along — the points appear as they are explained. Use ‹ Prev / Next › or the scene bar to jump to any scene.
A cucumber is a fruit, not a vegetable. By the end of this lesson you’ll be able to prove it.
Narration uses your device’s built-in voice. No sound? Switch to “Captions only” — the captions advance on their own.
Open the petals and highlight each part of the flower.
Copy these into your notebook in your own words — that is how they stick.
Sepals (protect), petals (attract), stamen: anther + filament (pollen), carpel: stigma + style + ovary (ovules), nectary.
Transfer of pollen from anther to stigma. Self or cross. Agents: insects, birds, wind.
Small/no petals, no nectar/scent, feathery exposed stigmas, anthers dangling outside, much light smooth pollen.
Fusion of male gamete nucleus with egg nucleus in the ovule (after pollen tube growth).
Zygote → embryo; ovule → seed; ovary → fruit; ovary wall → pericarp.
Mature ovary containing seeds — tomato, cucumber, pepper are fruits.
Wind, animals, water, self — reduces competition, colonises new areas.
The kind of support a teacher gives after the lesson: worked examples to attempt first, a board illustration, key terms, common misconceptions and memory aids.
Try it in your notebook first, then reveal the solution one step at a time.
Try it in your notebook first, then reveal the solution one step at a time.
| Feature | Insect-pollinated | Wind-pollinated |
|---|---|---|
| Petals | Large, brightly coloured | Small, dull or absent |
| Scent and nectar | Present | Absent |
| Anthers | Inside the flower, firmly attached | Hang outside, loosely attached |
| Stigma | Inside, sticky | Outside, large and feathery |
| Pollen | Larger, sticky or spiky, smaller amounts | Light, smooth, huge amounts |
| Examples | Hibiscus, Pride of Barbados | Grasses, corn, sugar cane |
Every difference comes from one idea: insects must be attracted; wind is random.
After fertilisation: ovary → fruit, ovule → seed, integuments → testa (seed coat).
Coconut palms grow on beaches across the Caribbean partly because coconuts float: carried by the sea, they wash up and germinate on new shores — water dispersal in action.
Collect a hibiscus flower. Carefully remove one petal at a time and find the stigma, style, anthers, filaments and ovary. Sketch and label each part.
4 quick games on this lesson. Earn XP and badges as you play — your best score for each game is saved. Games are for practice and do not change your exam readiness.
8 items modelled on real CSEC Paper 1 questions. Choose one answer for each, then check. Aim for 80% or better.
Write full answers, then reveal the mark scheme and tick the points you earned (24 marks in total). Your answers are saved on this device.
Question 1 [15 marks]
Flowering plant reproduction.
(a) Define the term “fertilisation”. [2]
(b) List FOUR features that show a flower is wind-pollinated. [4]
(c) Tom says a cucumber is a fruit; Jenny says it is a vegetable. Explain why Tom is correct. [3]
(d) Botanists found familiar plants on a distant island. Explain THREE ways the plants could have arrived. [6]
Question 2 [9 marks]
A grass flower has feathery structures (A), a structure at the base (B), long thin stalks (C) and dangling sacs (D).
(a) Name the reproductive structures A, B, C and D, and state how the flower is pollinated with ONE reason. [6]
(b) State THREE ways pollination differs from fertilisation. [3]
Find these in your own past-paper booklets for extra timed practice. The practice above is adapted from them.