Chapter Questions
Explain how flowers, fruits, and seeds contribute to the reproductive success of angiosperms.
Describe the male and female gametophytes of flowering plants.
How does an exclusive relationship between a plant and its pollinator benefit each partner? What are the risks of exclusive partnerships?
What process begins endosperm formation? How is the endosperm important to plants?
From what source does the endosperm receive its nutrients as it develops inside the seed?
If fruit production is a measure of fitness, why wouldn't a plant spend all of its energy producing fruits instead of roots and leaves? Why do you think some annual plants die back as they produce fruits?
Explain how plants grow toward light. Why is this response adaptive?
Develop a hypothesis that explains why it might be adaptive for a plant to flower in response to photoperiod rather than temperature.
Chrysanthemums are long-night plants that normally flower in the fall. If you could manipulate photoperiod, what would be the simplest way to prevent mums from blooming (without killing the plants)?
How does senescence occur?