Fertilization
Fertilization is the process where the male gamete and the female gamete join together to form a new life. In humans this is when the sperm from the father meets the egg from the mother and they fuse to form a zygote. This zygote is the very first cell of a new organism and after fertilization it starts dividing to form an embryo. Fertilization is extremely important because without it, a new living organism cannot start developing.
What are the things in Fertilization
During fertilization the sperm, which is produced in the male’s testes, travels into the female reproductive system and reaches the fallopian tube. The egg, which comes from the ovary, is released during ovulation and waits in the fallopian tube. Out of millions of sperm, only one sperm successfully enters the egg. When the sperm enters, both their nuclei combine and their genetic information mixes together. This fusion of the two gametes forms the zygote. After this moment the zygote starts rapid cell division and development begins.
Fertilization in Flowers
In flowering plants, fertilization happens differently. The male gamete is carried inside pollen grains which come from the anther. When pollen lands on the stigma, it forms a pollen tube that travels through the style to reach the ovary. The male gamete then enters the ovule inside the ovary and fuses with the female gamete. This fusion forms a zygote inside the flower. So in plants, fertilization is also the joining of male and female gametes but it happens inside the ovule.
Seed Formation
After fertilization in a flower, the zygote inside the ovule develops into an embryo. The ovule becomes the seed, and the ovary of the flower becomes the fruit. The seed protects the developing embryo and stores food to help the new plant grow when it germinates later. So the seed is formed because of fertilization, and it contains the future baby plant inside it. Seed formation is the final result after successful fertilization in plants.