Asexual Reproduction in Plants
Reproduction is an important life process which helps in the continuity of life on the Earth. All living beings reproduce either sexually or asexually. This article deals with asexual reproduction in plants.
Asexual reproduction
New plants are obtained from the parent plant without the production of seeds or spores. Such a method of reproduction in plants is called asexual reproduction.
Vegetative propagation is a type of asexual reproduction by which plants reproduce through their vegetative parts like the stem, roots, leaves and buds. There are different ways of vegetative propagation exhibited by various plants.Types of vegetative propagation
1. Cutting: In this type of reproduction, a small piece of a branch from a plant is cut and buried in the soil. This small piece of branch is known as cutting. On watering this piece of cutting regularly, new leaves grow at the nodes of the stem and finally it grows into a new plant. E.g., rose plants reproduce through cutting.
2. Propagation through stem buds: The buds in the axil (an axil is the point where a leaf is attached to the node of the stem) of the leaves are called vegetative buds and these buds are capable of growing into new plants under favorable conditions. For example, the scars on a potato are called the eyes. When a potato is cut into pieces, each piece with an eye, and buried in the soil, each piece grows into a new individual plants. The other plants that can be grown through budding are ginger and turmeric.
3. Propagation through leaf buds: Unlike potato a Bryophyllum plant has vegetative buds on the leaf margins. When these leaves fall in the moist soil, each bud on the leaf margin grows into a new plants under favorable conditions.
4. Through roots: Some plants like sweet potato, Dahlia and lily are capable of reproducing through their roots.
5. Through detached parts: In some plants when the plants parts get detached from the main body and fall in the soil, then each detached part is capable of growing into a new plant under favorable conditions. For e.g., cactus plant.
6. Budding: This type of propagation is generally exhibited by yeast which is a unicellular (single-celled) organism. In this type of reproduction a small bulb-like projection grows on the outer side of the cell body. This is called the bud which grows, gets detached from the parent body on maturing and this detached matured bud becomes an yeast cell.
7. Fragmentation: As the name indicates, in this kind of reproduction the plant body cuts itself into two or three pieces and each piece, called a fragment, is capable of giving rise to a new plant. Algae that grows in the stagnant water bodies multiplies or reproduces through fragmentation.
8. Spore formation: This type of reproduction is seen in fungus which is a non-green plant (plant that lacks the green coloring pigment-chlorophyll). A spore is an asexual reproductive body with a hard protective coat which is capable of withstanding unfavorable conditions and hence it can survive for a longer period. When the conditions are favorable, the spore germinates and develops into a new non-green plant. The other plants that reproduce through spore formation are mosses and ferns.
Experimental projects start with a question and use scientific methods to complete the research. They conclude with a report detailing the results. Research should make a significant contribution to a body of knowledge.
Topics, methods of investigation, and modes of presentation vary between disciplines. Typically, students announce a problem that they wish to solve, survey background information to define and explain the problem, and present evidence and reasoning in support of a thesis or hypothesis. The student's work culminates in a scientific experiment, report, scholarly publications or a product.
An Honoursproject is completed over ten months, whereas a PhDwill take between three to five years. The project can focus on any topic of the student's choosing.
Summer Undergraduate Research projects are an excellent opportunity to conduct research with an academic supervisor during the summer months. The program offers students the opportunity to become immersed in a research topic full-time for a ten-week period. Summer students are able to apply for a stipend through the Faculty of Science. Stipends are awarded on academic merit and are open to students completing an undergraduate degree at any University.
Our academicshave provided a list of research projects that have current funding in their laboratories. This is not a definitive list of projects so if you have an idea for a project you would like to work on, contact the academic whose area of research overlaps with your interests.
Developmental Biology
Ecology
Genetics & Evolution
Insects, Parasites & Interactions
Marine Science
Plant Sciences
Communication in Science.