1. Why is pollination necessary before seeds and fruits can form in flowering plants?Pollination transfers pollen from the male part (anther) to the female part (stigma), allowing fertilization to occur; without fertilization, seeds and fruits cannot develop.

2. How would the absence of insects affect pollination in flowers like sunflowers or roses?These plants rely heavily on insect pollinators; without them, pollination rates would drop sharply, leading to fewer seeds and fruits.

3. Why do you think self-pollination leads to less variation among plant offspring?Because the pollen and egg come from the same plant, the offspring inherit nearly identical genes, reducing genetic diversity.

4. What might happen to a species of plant if its specific pollinator (like a bat or bird) goes extinct?Its reproduction could decline or stop entirely unless it adapts to a new pollinator or develops another method of pollination.

5. Why are wind-pollinated plants like grasses less likely to have colorful or scented flowers?They don’t need to attract animals for pollination, so they save energy by producing small, plain, unscented flowers and make large amounts of pollen instead.

6. How does cross-pollination increase the chances of a plant adapting to changes in its environment?It mixes genes from different plants, creating more genetic variation, which improves the chances that some offspring will survive new conditions.

7. What adaptations might a flower develop if it needs to attract bats instead of bees?It may open at night, produce a strong fruity or musky scent, have pale or white flowers for better visibility in low light, and produce large amounts of nectar.